DUSHANBE, May 23, 2011, Asia-Plus — The Taliban are denying a report in the Afghan press that Mullah Mohammad Omar has been killed in neighboring Pakistan, saying the leader of the insurgent group is alive and in Afghanistan, The Associated Press reported on May 23.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told The Associated Press in a phone call Monday that the report is “absolutely wrong.”
He said, “It”s only propaganda and we completely deny these rumors. He is inside Afghanistan and he is busy directing military operations with his commanders.”
Afghan news channel Tolo quoted an anonymous Afghan intelligence official as saying that Omar had been killed in Pakistan.
Xinhua cited Afghanistan’s Tolo television as reporting that Mullah Omar was killed on way from Quetta to North Waziristan. However, it did not provide details on how he was killed and by whom. A security official too confirmed the killing, saying: “It is correct that Mullah Omar has been killed.”
In the meantime, officials with the Afghan intelligence service contacted by The Associated Press said they had no such reports. They spoke anonymously because they were not official spokesmen.
The Economic Time reports that soon after the news about Mullah Omar broke, the Pakistani Taliban said the reports were not true. “Tahreek-e-Taliban has strongly denied that Mullah Omar was killed, while he was on his way from Quetta to Waziristan, as claimed by the Afghan intelligence agency and a section of the media reported,” Geo TV said.
Mullah Omar was Afghanistan”s de facto head of state from 1996 to late 2001.
The Economic Times reports that according to the US National Terrorism Centre, Mullah Omar”s Taliban regime in Afghanistan sheltered Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network in the years prior to the Sep 11 attacks.
Mullah Omar had escaped the massive U.S. military manhunt in the region since the collapse of his regime in late 2001 by U.S-led military campaign would be a big blow to his fighters operating in Afghanistan.
Osama bin Laden was gunned down May 2 by US commandos in Pakistan”s Abbottabad city.
Although Operation Enduring Freedom launched post-9/11 removed the Taliban regime from power in Afghanistan, Mullah Omar was at large. The US has a $10 million award on him, The Economic Times reported.
