Afghanistan: Mullah Omar died in Karachi 2 years ago
Print Edition
AFGHANISTAN’S main intelligence agency said yesterday that the reclusive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has been dead for more than two years.
The one-eyed, secretive head of the Taliban and an al-Qaida ally led a bloody insurgency against US-led forces after they toppled him from his rule in Afghanistan in 2001. He has not been seen in public since fleeing the invasion over the border into Pakistan.
Abdul Hassib Seddiqi, the spokesman for Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, said Mullah Omar died in a hospital in the Pakistani city of Karachi in April 2013.
“We confirm officially that he is dead,” he said.
It was not immediately clear why his death was only being announced now.
The confirmation comes two days before the Afghan government and the Taliban are to hold their second round of official peace talks in Pakistan. The Taliban could not be immediately reached for comment.
“He was very sick in a Karachi hospital and died suspiciously there,” Seddiqi said, without elaborating.
Earlier, Zafar Hashemi, the deputy spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, said the government was investigating reports that the Taliban leader was dead.
“We are aware of the reports of the passing of Mullah Omar, the Taliban leader,” Hashemi said. “We are still in the process of verifying those reports, and as soon as we get any more accurate information or identification ... we will let the media and the people of Afghanistan know about it.”
Representatives of the Afghan government and the Taliban are due to meet tomorrow in Pakistan for official talks aimed at ending the war that is nearing its 14th year.
Confirmation of Mullah Omar’s death could complicate the peace process as it removes a figurehead for the insurgents, who until now have appeared to act collectively but are believed to be split on whether to continue the war or negotiate with Ghani’s government.
Omar has been rumored to have died several times in the past, but none of the reports has been confirmed.
A defense official with the remaining coalition forces in Afghanistan questioned the timing of the Omar announcement. “Why are they publicizing the news now, before the Afghan Taliban peace talks? Is it to weaken the Taliban’s position? It’s a big question.”
US State Department spokesman John Kirby said the United States was looking into the reliability of the latest reports.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
