DHAKA: The death of Mullah Mohammad Omar, the supreme leader of the Afghan Taliban, has been confirmed by authorities in Pakistan who have shared the information with Afghan government officials.

A media report said on Wednesday, according to Hindustan Times.

The issue was reportedly discussed during a meeting of the Afghan cabinet following the confirmation by Pakistani authorities, the Khaama Press reported.

The Pakistani authorities said Mullah Omar had died two years ago but no further details were given regarding the circumstances surrounding his death, the report said.

There was no word on the issue from the Afghan Taliban, whose representatives recently held talks for the first time with top Afghan officials in the Pakistani resort of Murree.

The reports of Mullah Omar’s death came two days ahead of the next round of talks between the Taliban and Afghan officials in Pakistan.

The development comes close on the heels of the claim by a splinter group of the Taliban – the Afghanistan Islamic Movement Fidai Mahaz – that Mullah Omar was killed by Taliban leaders Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansoor and Gull Agha.

The splinter group’s spokesman Qari Hamza said Mullah Omar was killed two years ago in July 2013.
 
Hamza claimed his group had evidence to prove its claims that Mullah Omar was killed by Mansoor and Agha.

The National Directorate of Security (NDS), Afghanistan’s spy agency, had said last November that Mullah Omar had possibly died and his group has split into three factions.

BDST: 1634 HRS, JULY 29, 2015
RR