KABUL (SW): An audio message associated with the wanted al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, has pledged allegiance to the new head of the Taliban, Mullah Mohammed Akhtar Mansoor, whose appointment has caused divisions within the Taliban.
No independent source has verified the authentication of the audio. "As leader of the al-Qaeda organization for jihad, I offer our pledge of allegiance, renewing the path of Sheikh Osama and the devoted martyrs in their pledge to the commander of the faithful, the holy warrior Mullah Omar," Zawahiri said. The Egypt-born militant leader is believed to be hiding in a border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The pledge came in a 10-minute audio recording that surfaced on social media and was later carried by the SITE Intelligence Group.
In the wake of split among the Taliban ranks over Mansoor’s disputed appointment, this new development is likely to boost Mansoor’s command over the militants. Taliban and Al-Qaeda goes decades back when the former chief of this militant organization first joined the anti-Soviet resistance movement and later enjoyed close ties with the Afghans during the Taliban regime.
On their part, the Taliban have been running an intensive propaganda campaign to amplify support for Mullah Mansoor.
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