Afghan Taliban sources doubt Mansour alive

AFP, KABUL: Several senior sources within the Taliban on Sunday cast doubt on the authenticity of an audio message purporting to prove Mullah Akhtar Mansour was alive, highlighting mistrust within the ranks following the cover-up of Mullah Omar’s death. The insurgent group released the 16-minute file late Saturday following reports citing multiple intelligence and militant sources claiming the Taliban chief was killed in a firefight on Tuesday inside Pakistan.
But doubts continued to linger among the group’s senior ranks, who are distrustful of their leadership following a two-year cover-up of the death of the Taliban’s founder and first leader Mullah Omar. Mawlawi Hanifi, a commander based in southern Helmand province, told AFP: “I listened to the clip and it looks fake. “I think his voice has been mimicked. Mansour himself fooled us for two years, how can we trust this now?” Another senior Taliban source said that the group is buying time to select a new leader and bring their organisation out of “this sudden shock”.

Afghan Taliban sources doubt Mansour alive

AFP, KABUL: Several senior sources within the Taliban on Sunday cast doubt on the authenticity of an audio message purporting to prove Mullah Akhtar Mansour was alive, highlighting mistrust within the ranks following the cover-up of Mullah Omars death. The insurgent group released the 16-minute file late Saturday following reports citing multiple intelligence and militant sources claiming the Taliban chief was killed in a firefight on Tuesday inside Pakistan. But doubts continued to linger among the groups senior ranks, who are distrustful of their leadership following a two-year cover-up of the death of the Talibans founder and first leader Mullah Omar. Mawlawi Hanifi, a commander based in southern Helmand province, told AFP: I listened to the clip and it looks fake. I think his voice has been mimicked. Mansour himself fooled us for two years, how can we trust this now? Another senior Taliban source said that the group is buying time to select a new leader and bring their organisation out of this sudden shock.