Rumors of internal strife within the Islamist movement nearly a month after his victory over the Western-backed government in Kabul forced Taliban to deny that one of their most senior leaders was killed in an exchange of fire with opponents.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the former head of the Taliban’s political bureau, who was appointed Deputy Prime Minister last week, posted an audio message denying allegations that he was killed or injured in a collision.
“He says they are lies and completely unfounded,” Taliban spokesman Sulayl Sahin said in a Twitter message.
The Taliban have also released a video allegedly showing Baradar meeting in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan. Reuters has so far been unable to verify the authenticity of the video, according to the Athens News Agency.
The allegations come amid rumors circulating that supporters of Baradar clashed with supporters of Shirazuddin Haqqani, the head of the Haqqani network based near the border with Pakistan, which has been blamed for some of the attacks. suicide of war.
The rumors followed speculation of possible rivalries between military commanders such as Hakani and Doha’s political leaders, such as Baradar, who led diplomatic efforts to reach a settlement with the United States.
The Taliban have repeatedly denied speculation about internal divisions.
Baradar, who was once considered a possible head of a Taliban government, has not appeared in public for some time and did not attend a cabinet meeting with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in Kabul.
The Islamist movement’s top leader, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, has also not appeared in public since the Taliban took control of Kabul on August 15, although he issued a public statement when the new government was formed last week.
The speculation about Taliban leaders was fueled by the circumstances surrounding the death of their movement’s founder, Mullah Omar, which was made public in 2015, two years after the incident, sparking bitter accusations among the leadership.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
