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NSA says there’s been no sign of Taliban leader for a year
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 have not had any contact with Akhundzada in the past 12 months.
He said: “The Taliban have had no contact with Mullah Hibatullah in the last 12 months. There is no information available whether he is alive or dead. No one has heard his voice and no one has met with him [in this time]. Intelligence information proves it.”
This comes after media reports in February this year indicated that Akhundzada had been killed in an explosion in Pakistan a few months earlier.
In February, Hasht-e-Subh newspaper reported that Akhundzada, along with other Taliban leaders including Mullah Matiullah, the Taliban’s intelligence chief, and Hafiz Abdul Majeed, the group’s head of finance, were killed in an explosion at a safe house in Quetta.
But at the time, the Taliban rejected the claims and said Akhundzada was still alive.
These reports came after Foreign Policy reported in May last year that Akhundzada could possibly be dead after having contracted COVID-19.
Pajhwok Afghan News meanwhile reported that senior government officials said this week that most of the decisions around peace and security are being made by the Taliban’s deputy leader Sarajuddin Haqqani.
However, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied the reports that he was dead and told Pajhwok that Akhundzada was very much alive.
Mujahid said Akhundzada was merely in a safe place for his security and that he does not make public appearances.
Akhundzada is the Taliban’s third supreme leader. Founded in 1994, the group’s first leader Mullah Mohammad Omar died in a hospital in Pakistan in 2013. However, his death was only announced two years later.
Omar was succeeded by Mullah Mohammad Mansoor, who was killed in a drone strike in 2016.
The Islamic Emirate’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met on Saturday with Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. special representative for Afghanistan, to discuss the current situation in the country and ways to expand ties between Kabul and Washington.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement issued Saturday evening that the two discussed opportunities in various sectors and issues related to Afghanistan-U.S. relations that could help broaden engagement between the two sides.
Muttaqi highlighted what he described as progress in stability, security, economic growth and self-reliance, saying Afghanistan currently offers a favorable environment for investment.
Khalilzad, meanwhile, praised the security and stability in Afghanistan and progress in reconstruction. He expressed hope that the country would make further gains in development, economic growth and self-reliance.
The former U.S. envoy also shared his views with relevant parties on strengthening relations and promoting constructive engagement between Afghanistan and the United States.
Zohurullah Fakhri, the head of the state-owned Afghan Tour company, says that an Australian tourist died of a heart attack in Wakhan district of Badakhshan province on Saturday.
According to Fakhri, the tourist, who was named “Charles” and was an Australian citizen, died in the Chaparan area of Wakhan district.
He did not provide further details about when the incident occurred or the transfer of the tourist’s body.
Dmitry Zhirnov, Russia’s ambassador to Afghanistan, met with Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul on Saturday.
According to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two sides discussed the expansion of bilateral relations, shared interests, and ways to further strengthen ties between the two countries.
They also exchanged views on the regional situation and emphasized that continued relations between Afghanistan and Russia are in the interests of both countries in light of ongoing regional developments.
The meeting also covered future cooperation between the two countries, with both sides stressing the need to further expand Afghanistan-Russia relations.
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