Afghan Taliban confirms Mansoor's death, appoints new leader

The Afghan Taliban on Wednesday confirmed the death of its leader Mullah Mohammad Akhtar Mansoor in the airstrike over the weekend in a online statement on Wednesday.

The Taliban has appointed Moulavi Haibatullah Akhunzada as its new leader to replace Mansoor, the militant group said in the statement.

"The Leadership Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (the name of the ousted Taliban regime)...today announced that the council unanimously appointed Moulavi Haibatullah Akhunzada as the new leader," the Taliban statement reads.

Akhunzada severed as the deputy chief of Taliban and was a member of the leadership council of the Taliban.

The statement also said that the council has chosen Mullah Sarrajuddin Haqqani and Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar, as the first and second deputies to Akhunzada respectively.

On Saturday, Mansoor was killed in a U.S. drone strike in a remote area of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.

"We call on all Muslims to hold three days of mourning (from Thursday) for late Akhtar Mansoor and hold prayer for his services and for his soul," the statement said.

"Our Jihad will continue ... we urge all Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan not to worry and support their new leader," the statement added.
  [Xinhua -china.org.cn]
25/5/15
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