Son Of Taliban Leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada Killed Carrying Out Suicide Attack

Reuters: Son of Afghan Taliban leader dies carrying out suicide attack

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - The son of Taliban leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada died on Thursday carrying out a suicide attack in the province of Helmand in southern Afghanistan, one of the insurgent movement's main spokesmen said.

Abdur Rahman, 23, also known as Hafiz Khalid, died driving a vehicle laden with explosives into an Afghan military base in the town of Gereshk, north of the provincial capital Lashkar Gah, Qari Yousaf Ahmadi, the Taliban's main spokesman for southern Afghanistan, said.

He said Abdur Rahman had been a madrassa student but had wanted to carry out a suicide attack. "He succeeded in his mission last Thursday," he said.

Taliban fighters drove three captured Humvee vehicles into checkpoints during heavy fighting around Gereshk on Thursday.

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Update: Taliban leader’s son carries out suicide attack in Helmand province (Khaama Press)

WNU editor: Another fine example of a madrassa student wanting to impress his dad. In my world .... this is beyond sick and disturbing .... in their world .... he is a martyr.

Report: The Afghan Taliban’s New Leader Akhundzada Lacks ‘Influence’

Photo: Taliban new leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada is seen in an undated photograph, posted on a Taliban twitter feed on May 25, 2016, and identified separately by several Taliban officials, who declined be named. Social Media/File Photo

New York Times: Taliban’s New Leader, More Scholar Than Fighter, Is Slow to Impose Himself

KABUL, Afghanistan — The early tenure of the Taliban’s new leader, a low-key religious scholar seen as a potential unifier, has been notable for lacking the drama his predecessor seemed unable to shake.

But even after two months in the role, Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada remains something of a mystery to the Taliban rank and file, according to analysts and insurgent commanders. And he has yet to make any high-profile mark on an insurgency that is stretched by internal divisions.

Many view him as lacking the grip and influence that his predecessor, Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour, had amassed before being killed in an American drone strike in May. Mullah Mansour’s tenure was marked by purges and open rebellion that have receded into the background.

Despite that, some commanders have refused to pledge allegiance to Mawlawi — a title reserved for Islamic scholars — Haibatullah, according to interviews with Taliban commanders and officials.

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Update: Taliban’s new leader being viewed as lacking influence: Report (Indian express/PTI)

WNU Editor: He has to earn his position .... and for that he will need time and success on the battlefield.

Taliban Leader: Foreigners Must Leave Afghanistan For There To Be Peace

Photo: Taliban new leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada is seen in an undated photograph, posted on a Taliban twitter feed on May 25, 2016, and identified separately by several Taliban officials, who declined be named. Social Media/File Photo

Al Jazeera: Taliban leader: No peace without foreigners leaving

In statement, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada says ending 'occupation' is a prerequisite for peace in Afghanistan.

The new Taliban leader has called for an end to foreign "occupation" of Afghanistan as a first step to a settlement based on Islamic law that he said would bring unity to a country hit by decades of war.

In one of his first public statements, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada said agreement was possible if the government in Kabul renounced its foreign allies.

"Your support and siding with invaders is like the work of those abhorrent faces who in our past history supported the Britons and the Soviets," he said in a message ahead of next week's celebration of Eid.

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WNU Editor: So much for the speculation and talk of the past few months that (maybe) a peace deal could be arranged with the Taliban.

More News On The New Afghan Taliban Leader Dictating That Foreigners Must Leave Afghanistan For There To Be Peace

New Taliban chief Mawlawi Akhundzada tells US to end Afghan ‘occupation’ in his first message -- The National
Taliban leader says foreigners must quit Afghanistan for peace -- Reuters
Taliban chief: US forces must leave Afghanistan -- DW
Taliban Chief Warns Jihad Against US-led 'Occupation' to Continue -- VOA
New Afghan Taliban Leader Calls For End Of Foreign 'Occupation' -- RFE

Haibatullah Akhundzada Appointed As The New Leader For The Afghan Taliban

Washington Post: Taliban replaces leader killed in U.S. drone strike

KABUL — In a move seeking to end rifts within the Taliban, the insurgent group Wednesday named a new leader and confirmed the death of his predecessor last week in a U.S. drone strike.

Haibatullah Akhundzada, a cleric and once the Taliban’s top judge, was a deputy under Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, who was killed in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province on Saturday. His appointment could strengthen the divided group by easing infighting between Taliban factions.

The Taliban also struck. The announcement was accompanied by an attack in a suburb of the capital, Kabul, by a Taliban suicide bomber who killed 11 government employees on their way to work.

Alongside Sirajuddin Haqqani, another top deputy, Haibatullah served as military chief in several Afghan provinces, orchestrating attacks against government troops and rival Taliban factions that have killed scores of people in recent months.

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WNU Editor: Some in the Taliban are not happy with this choice .... Rumblings Emerge After Taliban Names New Leader (RFE).

More News On Haibatullah Akhundzada Being Appointed As The New Leader For The Afghan Taliban

Afghan Taliban appoint new leader after Mansour's death -- AP
Afghan Taliban appoint a new leader, Kabul urges peace -- Reuters
Taliban names Mullah Haibatullah as new emir -- Long War Journal
Afghan Taliban announce successor to Mullah Mansour -- BBC
Taliban Name Lesser-Known Cleric as Their New Leader -- NYT
Afghan Taliban appoint Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada as new leader -- The Guardian
Taliban names Mansour's deputy Haibatullah Akhundzada as new leader -- DW
Afghan Taliban appoint new leader Haibatullah Akhunzada after Mullah Akhtar Mansour's death -- ABC News Online
Afghan Taliban: Haibatullah Akhunzada is new leader -- Al Jazeera
Taliban replaces its dead leader – and prepares for some tricky internal politics -- UPI
Taliban Name New Leader, Confirm Death Of Mullah Mansour -- NPR
Afghan Taliban spokesman says movement's new leader has not issued audio message -- Reuters
Taliban's new leader 'natural choice' to unite group, say analysts -- CNN
What to Know About the New Taliban Commander After US Drone Strike -- ABC News
Profile: New Taliban chief Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada -- BBC
Who Is the New Taliban Leader? -- Krishnadev Calamur, The Atlantic