Taliban Supreme Leader Appears After Rumors Of Death

Illustration (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - The Taliban's supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, appeared in public in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, Taliban sources said on Sunday, October 31.

As reported by Antara, Sunday, October 31, his appearance at the same time denied the widespread rumors that he had died.

Akhundzada has been seen in public even after the Taliban took over the country in August, sparking speculation.

He is known as the leader of the faithful and earned the nickname Amirul Mu'minin.

A senior Taliban leader who was present with Akhundzada during his public appearances told Reuters that the supreme leader on Saturday, October 30, visited Jamiah Darul Ulum Hakim, a religious school in Kandahar.

When the Islamist movement announced its interim government in September, after US-led forces withdrew, the mysterious Akhundzada retained the role he had held since 2016 as supreme leader, supreme authority over the group's political, religious, and military affairs.

While some officials say Akhundzada has in fact been in public before -- without being made public, his appearance on Saturday was the first time he's made a public appearance.

Akhundzada previously did not want to attract public attention.

The only photo of Akhundzada that Reuters could verify was an undated image uploaded to the Taliban's Twitter account in May 2016.

His vague existence has led to constant speculation about where he is and how his health is.

Previously, the Taliban had not confirmed the death of their founder, and first supreme leader, Mullah Omar, for years.