Afghan Taliban leader's death widens cracks in fragmented group

Kabul, May 24: Three days after Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US drone strike in Balochistan province of Pakistan, a state of confusion has been created in the militant group due to leadership vacuum, said Afghan political experts. Mansour was killed in the Pakistani town of Ahmad Wal in a US drone strike on Saturday, confirmed the Afghan tiol Directorate of Security (NDS) and US President Barack Obama, Xinhua news agency reported.

The news of Mansour’s death has been widely hailed by Afghans as a “major blow” to the militant group, which according to political observers will help further facilitate the government’s “carrot and stick” policy and push for peace and war simultaneously.

According to Afghan political and military experts, the elimition of Mansour, amid the ongoing Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan, would knock the wind out of the Taliban and eventually weaken its war machine and its capability on the battleground.

“The sudden death of Mansour at this critical stage in Afghanistan where his fighters are fighting tooth and il to gain power could put the Taliban in a state of confusion and create a leadership vacuum,” said General Atiqullah Amarkhil, an alyst close to the situation.

Taliban militants would further be divided into several more groups in the wake of Mansour’s death, the alyst predicted. (IANS)