No evidence to prove Taliban chief dead, says Afghan leader

December 08, 2015 01:31

There is no evidence to prove that Taliban supremo Mullah Akhtar Mansour is dead, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said today, after days of fevered speculation about his fate following reports of an internal firefight.

Ghani's comment comes after multiple insurgent sources cast doubt on the authenticity of a Taliban audio message over the weekend purporting that Mansour was alive and well.

"There is no evidence that Mullah Mansour has been killed," Ghani told a press conference.

"The incident that occurred should be carefully analysed," he said.

Ghani was seemingly referring to a reported gunfight at an insurgent gathering near the Pakistani town of Quetta last Tuesday which is said to have left Mansour critically wounded.

Vehement denials by the Islamist group of any clash have fallen on sceptical ears, especially after they kept the death of longtime chief Mullah Omar secret for two years.

Ghani's remarks are at odds with those of a government spokesman, who sparked a flurry of reactions when he tweeted on Friday that Mansour was dead.

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