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Son Of Late Afghan Taliban Leader Given Leadership Post


Smoke billows from a building after a Taliban attack in Helmand province March, 2016
Smoke billows from a building after a Taliban attack in Helmand province March, 2016

The Afghan Taliban has given the son of its late founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar, a leadership post in the militant group.

A Taliban statement on April 5 said Mohammad Yuqub, Mullah Omar's eldest son, was appointed as the head of the group's military commission.

Yuqub and his uncle, Abdul Manan, were appointed to the Taliban's leadership council.

Both Yuqub and Manan had initially opposed the appointment of new Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansur in July last year, just days after the Kabul government revealed that Mullah Omar had died in Pakistan two years ago.

Some Taliban leaders have accused Mullah Mansur of keeping Mullah Omar's death a secret.

The appointment of two of its founder's closest relatives would appear to strengthen the position of Mullah Mansur, who still faces opposition from some factions within the movement.

Based on reporting by Reuters and Express Tribune

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