The Taliban on Sunday discovered the very last resting region of the motion’s founder, Mullah Omar, whose dying and burial they stored mystery for years. Rumours surrounding Omar’s fitness and whereabouts abounded after the Taliban had been kicked out of strength in 2001 through a US-led invasion, and that they simplest admitted in April 2015 that he had died years in advance.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid instructed AFP Sunday that senior leaders of the motion attended a rite at his gravesite in advance withinside the day close to Omarzo, in Suri district of Zabul province. The Taliban back to strength in August final yr, routing authorities forces because the US-led navy that propped up the regime ended a 20-yr occupation.
“Since lots of enemies had been round and the usa changed into occupied, to keep away from harm to the tomb it changed into stored mystery,” Mujahid stated.”Only the near own circle of relatives participants had been aware about the region,” he added. Pictures launched through officers confirmed Taliban leaders accrued round a easy white brick tomb, included with what seems to be gravel and enclosed in a inexperienced metallic cage. “Now the selection has been made… there aren’t anyt any problems for the human beings to go to the tomb,” Mujahid stated. Omar, who changed into elderly round fifty five whilst he died, based the Taliban in 1993 as an antidote to the internecine civil battle that erupted following the decade-lengthy Soviet occupation.
Under his management the Taliban added a really austere model of Islamic rule, barring ladies from public lifestyles and introducing harsh public punishments — inclusive of executions and floggings. Omar’s rite comes an afternoon after provincial Taliban officers denied reviews that the Panjshir Valley tomb of resistance hero Ahmad Shah Massoud were vandalised, an act Mujahid stated could be “punished” if true.
Massoud has a blended legacy withinside the usa, in which he’s hailed through normal Afghans for main the resistance in opposition to the Soviet occupation, however loathed through the Taliban he additionally fought till his 2001 assassination through Al-Qaeda.His tomb is in an implementing granite and marble mausoleum overlooking the picturesque Panjshir Valley, and protected through Taliban combatants when you consider that their takeover of the usa in August final yr.
Local citizens stated a newly arrived contingent of combatants smashed the tombstone, and video of the desecrated grave — which couldn’t be verified — changed into posted through nearby media and circulating extensively on social channels.”It occurred whilst the brand new forces entered Panjshir. The new forces from Helmand and Kandahar destroyed the tombstone of the countrywide hero,” one resident instructed AFP.
Nasrullah Malakzada, head of facts and lifestyle of Panjshir, province, denied the tomb were broken and issued a video purporting to reveal it intact.The clip, however, pointedly did now no longer show the whole structure — specially the element visible broken withinside the authentic video.Malakzada refused requests through newshounds to go to or photo the tomb for themselves.Mujahid instructed journalists that no person had the proper to insult the dead. “Previously we had punished individuals who dedicated such acts,” he stated, adding “this may be investigated as nicely and important motion can be taken”.