Fact Check: Is Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, deputy PM of Afghanistan dead?

Kabul, Sep 13: The news of supposed demise of Taliban co-founder and new deputy prime minister of Afghanistan Mullah Abdul Ghani Barada is doing rounds on social media. Rejecting the claims, Mullah Baradar released an audio message saying he was well and alive, and had not been injured.

"Mullah Bradar Akhund, Deputy PM, Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in a voice message rejected all those claims that he was injured or killed in a clash. He says it is lies and totally baseless," tweeted Taliban spokesperson from Qatar office Suhail Shaheen.

"There had been news in the media about my death. Over the past few nights I have been away on trips. Wherever I am at the moment, we are all fine, all my brothers and friends," Agence France-Presse quoted Baradar as saying.

"Media always publish fake propaganda. Therefore, reject bravely all those lies, and I 100 percent confirm to you there is no issue and we have no problem," he added.

Ghani Baradar, popularly known as Mullah Baradar, was born in Uruzgan province in 1968. He was raised in Kandahar, which also happens to be the birthplace of the Taliban movement. Currently, he is number 2 in the the Taliban hierarchy after Haibatullah Akhundzada.