Taliban: Reports of leader's death fake
Source: Agencies |
July 21, 2011, Thursday
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THE Taliban in Afghanistan insisted yesterday that their leader Mullah Mohammed Omar was alive, saying a text message and Internet posting announcing his death were fake.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the reports about Mullah Omar was the result of a hack.
"He is overseeing operations in the country," Mujahid told The Associated Press. "Outsiders must have hacked into Taliban phones and the website." Mujahid blamed US intelligence agencies, saying they were trying "to demoralize the Taliban."
Mullah Omar has led the decade-long insurgency against the US-led military coalition and the Afghan government of President Hamid Karzai. He ruled most of Afghanistan as leader of its Taliban government before the United States and its allies invaded on October 7, 2001, after the September 11 attacks.
Violence has spiked recently in Afghanistan as the US-led coalition begins a process of transferring security in areas where Afghan forces are strong enough to control.
So far, the transfer has been restricted to provincial capitals as much of the country remains lawless and unstable after a decade of war. The transition will lead to the withdrawal of all foreign combat troops by late 2014.
Yesterday, US forces are to transfer responsibility for Lashkar Gah, the capital of war-torn Helmand province. They will retain responsibility for the other areas in the predominantly Pashtun province that remain under the influence of the Taliban and other insurgent groups.
US forces turned over control of Mehterlam, the capital of Laghman province, on Tuesday. Bamiyan and Panjshir, which have seen little violence, are the only entire provinces to be handed over.
Also yesterday, a gunbattle killed three Afghan police officers and two insurgents in the southern city of Kandahar.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said the reports about Mullah Omar was the result of a hack.
"He is overseeing operations in the country," Mujahid told The Associated Press. "Outsiders must have hacked into Taliban phones and the website." Mujahid blamed US intelligence agencies, saying they were trying "to demoralize the Taliban."
Mullah Omar has led the decade-long insurgency against the US-led military coalition and the Afghan government of President Hamid Karzai. He ruled most of Afghanistan as leader of its Taliban government before the United States and its allies invaded on October 7, 2001, after the September 11 attacks.
Violence has spiked recently in Afghanistan as the US-led coalition begins a process of transferring security in areas where Afghan forces are strong enough to control.
So far, the transfer has been restricted to provincial capitals as much of the country remains lawless and unstable after a decade of war. The transition will lead to the withdrawal of all foreign combat troops by late 2014.
Yesterday, US forces are to transfer responsibility for Lashkar Gah, the capital of war-torn Helmand province. They will retain responsibility for the other areas in the predominantly Pashtun province that remain under the influence of the Taliban and other insurgent groups.
US forces turned over control of Mehterlam, the capital of Laghman province, on Tuesday. Bamiyan and Panjshir, which have seen little violence, are the only entire provinces to be handed over.
Also yesterday, a gunbattle killed three Afghan police officers and two insurgents in the southern city of Kandahar.
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