Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, Chief of Taliban, could be dead due to the novel Coronavirus infection in Afghanistan, a senior Taliban insider told News Intervention. The Taliban insider added that soon after contracting COVID-19, Mullah Hibatullah had developed severe respiratory complications.
“It may be possible that Taliban could keep Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada’s death under wraps for some time before a formal announcement,” the Taliban insider added. He further explained that delaying a formal announcement could be tactic to prevent a power struggle among the senior Taliban fighters.
Taliban group has not made any formal announcement about Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada. Ironically, local reports within Afghanistan say that Mullah Omar’s son Mullah Yakub has been appointed as the interim leader of Taliban. Just last month Mullah Yakub was appointed as the military chief of Taliban after a reshuffle in Taliban’s top leadership.
After the death of Mullah Omar, who was Taliban’s former chief and a close associate of terrorist Osama bin Laden, Taliban has been riddled with factionalism. Infighting among its senior fighters to grab control of this fundamentalist organisation has been a common occurrence.