Taliban appoints new military chief
ISLAMABAD — The Taliban have appointed a new military chief as the insurgents try to gain more ground in Afghanistan rather than talk peace under a new leadership, Taliban officials said in telephone interviews over the weekend.
They said that the appointment of Mullah Ibrahim Sadar, once a close ally of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammed Omar, heralds a commitment to confrontation at a time when multiple governments are trying to coax the Taliban to the negotiating table.
Sadar is a battle-hardened commander, who gained prominence among Taliban foot soldiers following the movement’s overthrow in 2001. The two officials both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly for the Taliban.
Sadar’s appointment coincides with an uptick in Taliban attacks against Afghan security forces. The U.S. has sent additional troops to Afghanistan’s southern Helmand province, where its capital, Lashkar Gah, is under pressure. The provincial council head Kareem Atal earlier said roughly 80 per cent of Helmand is already under Taliban control.
Mohammad Akbari, a member of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council, said there has been no progress in talks since Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a U.S. drone strike in May in Pakistan. Mansour was succeeded by Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, and the notorious Haqqani network gained a prominent role in the leadership structure.
The Haqqani network, branded a terrorist organization by the U.S., has been accused of carrying out some of the most brutal attacks in the past 15 years of war in Afghanistan.
The Haqqanis are believed to have a healthy war chest and are able to attract funding even as competition among Islamic organizations grows.
With their recent ascendency in the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqanis have moved to unify the fractured insurgency.
“I can’t see any green light toward peace by the Taliban for Afghanistan and instead we have seen an increase in their fighting in the provinces,” Akbari said.