Prayer ceremony for Taliban faction’s deputy held at Herat Grand Mosque

A prayer ceremony for Mullah Abdul Manan Niazi, the deputy head of the Taliban splinter group in the western part of the country, was held on Monday at Herat’s Grand Mosque.

Mullah Manan Niazi died on Saturday in a hospital in Kabul after sustaining serious injuries in a Taliban-on-Taliban skirmish on Tuesday night.

His funeral was held in the Guzara area of Herat on Sunday in the presence of dozens of supporters and gunmen.

During the ceremony, it was announced his son, Hafiz Khalid Niazi would succeed the slain leader.

“I got Niazi’s blood flowing through my veins. We have thousands of (Niazi)s among us,” Hafiz Khalid Niazi said.

Mullah Nabab Niazi reportedly sustained gunshot wounds to his head during a clash between insiders. Sources said three of his men were also killed in the incident and another three wounded.

The shooting took place at Niazi’s base in Guzara district of Herat.

Sources told Ariana News last week that Mullah Manan Niazi was transferred to a Kabul hospital on Thursday.

“If someone is who fights against the government is being killed, we let their families or relatives to burry,” Herat governor Abdul Wahid Qatali said.

Mullah Manan Niaz was the political deputy of the Taliban splinter group – led by Mullah Rasool. He has repeatedly criticized neighboring countries for their actions in Afghanistan. The group had recently aligned itself with the government, and fighters were sent to Niazi as part of an uprising force to secure a number of Herat districts.

“When you gave Shahid [someone martyred in your family], I will also give Shahid, I will also sacrifice my family, father, and brother only for this land and for these people so that they can only live one day or sleep one night in peace,” Hafiz Khalid said.When you martyr, I also martyr; I give family, I give father, I give brother, only because of this soil and these people who sleep peacefully for at least one day or night

During the two days of the funeral and mourning ceremony, dozens of his armed supporters and white flags were visible in Herat city – a move that sparked concern among the locals.