Afghan Taliban announce end of succession dispute

Kabul, Sep 16: The Taliban in Afghanistan has announced end to the succession dispute as the family of late supreme leader Mullah Omar pledged allegiance to the group's new chief, Mullah Akhtar Mansour.

Mullah Omar's brother Mullah Abdul Manan Akhunda and his son Maulavi Mohammad Yaqoob on Tuesday pledged allegiance during a meeting attended by the religious clerics and senior Taliban leaders, Khaama press quoted a statement of Taliban group as saying.

The circumstances surrounding the decision by Mullah Omar's family members to pledge allegiance to Mullah Mansoor is not clear so far.

Mullah Manan had earlier opposed with the election of Mullah Mansour as the replacement supreme leader of Taliban and had warned of internal fighting within the group if the differences among the Taliban leadership are not resolved.

He wanted Maulavi Yaqoob to succeed his father as the supreme leader of Taliban.

Maulavi Yaqoob issued an audio statement earlier this week warning that he is prepared to carry out a suicide attack amid rift among the Taliban leadership following the death of the group's founder and Supreme Leader Mullah Mohammad Omar.

Without claiming the leadership, Maulavi Yaqoob said his father had not appointed a successor for the group. "If unity can return with my death, I am willing to carry out suicide," he said.

IANS