8am: The Taliban’s supreme leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada has recently appointed Mawlawi Abdul Ahad as the new Omari Suicide Corps Commander for its group, a spokesman for the Taliban governor in Helmand said. The Taliban suicide corps is one of the most important military units of the group, which has carried out deadly attacks in
8am: The United Nations has recently reported that relations between al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders have recently become closer. According to the report, al-Qaeda has gained more freedom with the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has renewed his allegiance to Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, according to a 25-page report recently released by the
8am: The title of Amir al-mu’minin has no jurisprudential justification and the Taliban do not have the required knowledge to justify their supreme leader’s title. Amir al-mu’minin means the ruler of all believers on earth. Political terminology for Muslims developed during the first three to four centuries of Islamic empire expansion. Click here to read
AFP via Al Jazeera: Akhunzada delivered his brief address from one of the front rows of worshippers in Kandahar without turning to face the crowd, according to social media posts. Taliban officials did not allow journalists to approach him. Two helicopters hovered over the mosque for the two-hour event. Click here to read more (external
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi April 29, 2022 The supreme leader of Afghanistan’s Taliban has called again on the international community to recognize the government of the radical militant group that swept to power in August amid the withdrawal of the U.S.-led international forces. Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, the group’s reclusive supreme leader, said in a written message
8am: Taliban cabinet has appointed Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar as Prime Minister. Baradar will replace Mullah Hassan Akhund. The decision is made during the Taliban’s senior cabinet meeting held in Kandahar. In addition, Sirajuddin Haqqani who currently leads the Ministry of Interior will be the Deputy Prime Minister in addition to his current post. Click
8am: Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada has recently issued a decree on women’s rights. This decree focuses more on the rights of marriage, inheritance, and unsavory traditions. It does not mention the right to work, education, and political participation of women and girls in the new government. It also does not specify the extent to
AFP: Officials of the ousted Afghan regime and many Western analysts are sceptical, believing that Akhundzada died years ago. For them the madrassa visit was a carefully choreographed deception. There is a precedent — the Taliban pretended founder Mullah Omar was alive for two years following his death in 2013. Click here to read more
Al Jazeera: The supreme leader of the Taliban, Haibatullah Akhunzada, has warned the group that there may be “unknown” entities among their ranks who are “working against the will of the government”. Click here to read more (external link).
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty October 31, 2021 The reclusive leader of Afghanistan’s Taliban made a rare public appearance at a religious school in the city of Kandahar on October 30. Taliban Supreme Leader Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada had not been seen in public since he became the Taliban leader in 2016, even after the movement took