Kabul investigating reports about Taliban chief

KANDAHAR: Afghan officials scrambled on Thursday to establish whether Taliban supremo Mullah Akhtar Mansour was still alive, after sources said he was “critically” wounded in a gunfight following a bitter argument with commanders in the militant group.

It remains unclear whether Mansour survived the gunfight, which has threatened to derail a renewed regional push to jumpstart peace talks with the Taliban.

The Taliban officially rejected as “absolutely baseless” the reports of the gunfight, which officials and militant sources said was triggered by an altercation at a gathering that cascaded out of control.

Also read: Taliban section claims Mansour injured in internal firefight

“We are trying to establish whether Mansour is dead or alive,” said Sultan Faizi, the spokesman for the Afghan first vice president.

“His situation is critical,” he said, citing credible information.

A senior Pakistani intelligence official said that Mansour had been “very seriously injured” in what he described as a “heavy exchange of fire” at a gathering of militant commanders near Quetta.

An Afghan intelligence official and multiple militant sources close to Mansour’s group confirmed the account to AFP, adding that the gunfight left at least four Taliban members dead and several others wounded.

There was, however, conflicting information on the location of the confrontation, with some sources claiming that it took place near Kandahar, the spiritual birthplace of the Taliban.

But they all agreed that the meeting was at the home of Abdullah Sarhadi, a commander in Mansour’s group and a former Guantanamo Bay detainee.

“There were differences on some points which later turned into harsh words, then Sarhadi opened fire and the others returned fire,” a Taliban source said. It was unclear what the argument was about.

Mansour is reported to be under growing pressure to restart peace talks with Afghan authorities, a contentious issue that has prompted much rancour within hard-line insurgent ranks.

“The reports are still sketchy, but the sheer volume of rumours suggesting that something has happened to Mansour will pressure the Taliban to offer proof that he’s alive,” a Western official in Kabul said.

“Simply posting denials on their website won’t be considered credible enough, especially after Mullah Omar’s death was concealed for years.”

A Taliban commander in the southern province of Helmand said the group would soon release an audio and video message from Mansour.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2015