VOA News August 19, 2021 Taliban fighters captured major areas in quick succession on their way to seizing Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, Sunday, 20 years after U.S.-led forces knocked the group from power. Here are some of its key leaders. Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada He is the Taliban’s supreme leader, a position he took following the death
By Ron Synovitz RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi August 6, 2021 With the Taliban in control of more than half of all districts in Afghanistan, promises made by Taliban political negotiators in Doha appear to be falling by the wayside. The movement’s so-called Political Affairs Commission in Doha had vowed in a February 2020 peace deal with the
Ariana: National Security Advisor (NSA) Hamdullah Mohib said on Saturday that the Taiban’s supreme leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada has not been seen in the last year – which has again raised questions about whether he is dead or alive. Mohib said in a press conference in Kabul Saturday that intelligence findings indicate that Taliban members
Tolo News: The Ministry of Defense (MoD) said Saturday that at least 40 people were killed and wounded in separate Taliban attacks in nearly 10 provinces despite a previous commitment by the group to halt fighting during the three days of Eid ceasefire. “Mullah Hibatullah (Taliban’s supreme leader) has no authority on all factions of
Ayaz Gul VOA News May 9, 2021 ISLAMABAD – The leader of Afghanistan’s Taliban insurgency Sunday praised the ongoing withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops from the country, as officials in Kabul raised the death toll to more than 60 from the previous day’s multiple blasts outside a girls’ school in the capital. “We consider
Ayesha Tanzeem VOA News March 3, 2021 Offering a rare glimpse into the inner workings of the Afghan Taliban, the group publicly shared a speech in which its deputy leader seemed to be chiding a gathering of Taliban fighters for their internal rivalries, lack of motivation, and disciplinary issues. The date and place of the
Tahir Khan VOA News January 13, 2021 ISLAMABAD – In an unprecedented move, the head of the Afghan Taliban has restricted officials in the insurgent group from marrying more than once. Three Taliban officials who spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity said the move is aimed at easing financial burdens on the group, as
By Frud Bezhan Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty September 16, 2020 The Taliban’s burgeoning financial might could make the militant group immune to pressure from the international community as it negotiates a role in postwar Afghanistan, according to a confidential report commissioned by NATO and obtained by RFE/RL. The Taliban “has achieved, or is close to achieving,
1TV: Some years ago, Taliban leader Mullah Hebatullah Akhundzada had sent a delegation to Helmand province for peace talks, but the president said the government was not ready, former chairman of High Peace Council, Karim Khalili, said on Sunday. Click here to read more (external link). Related Peace doesn’t mean power sharing: Ghani
By Frud Bezhan Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty August 27, 2020 Mohammad Yaqoob was virtually unknown five years ago when the Taliban disclosed the mysterious death of his father and its founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar. The Taliban acknowledged that its spiritual leader had been dead for more than two years, soon after Afghan intelligence said he had