KABUL (SW): The Kabul government has finally confirmed that the mysterious Taliban Supreme leader had died two years ago.
Earlier the news about Mullah Omar’s death attracted global attention. Media reports quoted Afghan officials confirming on condition of anonymity that Omar died over two years ago in Pakistan and his body was secretly moved back to Afghanistan.
The news remained unconfirmed as neither the government nor the Taliban officially confirmed or rejected the news until late Wednesday evening when the Presidential Palace in Kabul finally broke the silence and confirmed the news.
“The government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, based on credible information, confirms that Mullah Mohammad Omar, leader of the Taliban died in April 2013 in Pakistan”, a message by Presidential Palace in Kabul said.
The government of Afghanistan believes that grounds for the Afghan peace talks are more paved now than before, and thus calls on all armed opposition groups to seize the opportunity and join the peace process, it added
This comes at a time when a Kabul government delegation is set to have the second round of landmark peace talks with the Taliban on Friday July 31.
The news of Omar's death was broke by the BBC that quoted Afghan officials speaking on condition of anonymity about the matter. According to the reports, the Kabul government was informed by Pakistani intelligence about Omar's death and the news was discussed in Afghanistan's National Security Council meeting.
Security Analyst Jawaid Kohistani however, was confident about the nature of the news. “I have often said that the Taliban supreme leader is no more, he died over two years ago’, he said.
Kohistani claimed that three years ago Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI struck a deal with its U.S. counterpart CIA over Omar. “When he (Omar) was informed about this he escaped Afghanistan and with the help of Pakistani militant groups took refuge in Pakistan”.
Kohistani claimed Omar died in Pakistan’s south western Zhob district and his dead body was moved back to Afghanistan about three years ago.
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