The Afghan Taliban has announced a new leader to replace Mullah Akhtar Mansour who was killed in a U.S. drone strike.
In a statement, the Taliban’s main spokesman confirmed the death of the rebel group’s former leader and announced the appointment of his new successor, Haibatullah Akhunzada.
Haibatullah is a former head of the Taliban’s judiciary and was deputy to Mansour.
In Wednesday’s statement, the Taliban said Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of a network blamed for many high-profile bombs attacks in Kabul in recent years, and Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of former leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, will serve as deputies, Zabihullah Mujahid.
Mansour was killed in Pakistan’s Balochistan province on Saturday when his car was hit by a U.S. drone.
He assumed leadership in July 2015, after it was announced Taliban founder and spiritual head Mullah Mohammad Omar had died two years earlier.
– TiVi Tuan-san