Mullah Mohammad Omar

The son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar appeared in public for the first time on Wednesday, as Afghanistan's hardline rulers try to polish their media image.

The Afghan Taliban have announced the start of their warm-weather fighting season, an annual declaration marking the launch of a violent summer.

A splinter faction of the Afghan Taliban has selected its own leader to challenge the new chief of the terror group, two insurgent commanders said today, raising fresh doubts about chances of breathing life into stalled peace talks.

A car bomb exploded near the entrance to Kabul airport today, killing at least four people and wounding 17, days after a series of suicide attacks in the Afghan capital killed dozens and wounded hundreds.

A wave of attacks on Afghan army, police and US special forces in Kabul on Friday killed at least 50 people and wounded hundreds, dimming hopes that the Taliban might be weakened by a leadership struggle after their longtime leader's death.

If the first public comments from the Afghan Taliban's newly appointed leader are anything to go by, Akhtar Mohammad Mansour recognises how fractured the militant movement has become and that humility and consensus may be his best way forward.

A top Taliban official announced his resignation on Tuesday amid a growing leadership struggle in the Afghan insurgent movement after news of the death of leader Mullah Mohammad Omar last week.

The son of late Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has reportedly been killed, sections of the Afghan media reported today.

Afghanistan's spy agency on Monday banned all mourning ceremonies for deceased Taliban leader Mullah Omar, warning that any gatherings condoling his death would be a "legitimate target" for Afghan forces.

At the Taliban meeting this week where Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour was named as the Islamist militant group's new head, several senior figures in the movement, including the son and brother of late leader Mullah Omar, walked out in protest.

Taliban's newly anointed chief, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, may have kept fellow insurgents in the dark for the past two years by claiming to pass orders and messages from Mullah Muhammad Omar, even though he knew that his boss had died in 2013, according to a media report.

The Afghan Taliban have appointed Akhtar Mohammad Mansour as leader of the insurgency, two Afghan commanders present at a meeting of the militant movement's most senior figures said today, following reports that Mullah Omar is dead.

Afghanistan said on Wednesday that Mullah Omar, the elusive leader of the Taliban movement fighting to topple the government, died more than two years ago.

A missile-firing drone killed six people in Afghanistan today including a veteran militant believed to have defected to Islamic State (IS) from the Taliban, Afghan officials said.

Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar on Sunday hailed the release of five senior insurgents in exchange for US soldier Bowe Bergdahl as a "big victory".

The son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar appeared in public for the first time on Wednesday, as Afghanistan's hardline rulers try to polish their media image.

The Afghan Taliban have announced the start of their warm-weather fighting season, an annual declaration marking the launch of a violent summer.

A splinter faction of the Afghan Taliban has selected its own leader to challenge the new chief of the terror group, two insurgent commanders said today, raising fresh doubts about chances of breathing life into stalled peace talks.

A car bomb exploded near the entrance to Kabul airport today, killing at least four people and wounding 17, days after a series of suicide attacks in the Afghan capital killed dozens and wounded hundreds.

A wave of attacks on Afghan army, police and US special forces in Kabul on Friday killed at least 50 people and wounded hundreds, dimming hopes that the Taliban might be weakened by a leadership struggle after their longtime leader's death.

If the first public comments from the Afghan Taliban's newly appointed leader are anything to go by, Akhtar Mohammad Mansour recognises how fractured the militant movement has become and that humility and consensus may be his best way forward.

A top Taliban official announced his resignation on Tuesday amid a growing leadership struggle in the Afghan insurgent movement after news of the death of leader Mullah Mohammad Omar last week.

The son of late Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has reportedly been killed, sections of the Afghan media reported today.

Afghanistan's spy agency on Monday banned all mourning ceremonies for deceased Taliban leader Mullah Omar, warning that any gatherings condoling his death would be a "legitimate target" for Afghan forces.

At the Taliban meeting this week where Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour was named as the Islamist militant group's new head, several senior figures in the movement, including the son and brother of late leader Mullah Omar, walked out in protest.

Taliban's newly anointed chief, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, may have kept fellow insurgents in the dark for the past two years by claiming to pass orders and messages from Mullah Muhammad Omar, even though he knew that his boss had died in 2013, according to a media report.

The Afghan Taliban have appointed Akhtar Mohammad Mansour as leader of the insurgency, two Afghan commanders present at a meeting of the militant movement's most senior figures said today, following reports that Mullah Omar is dead.

Afghanistan said on Wednesday that Mullah Omar, the elusive leader of the Taliban movement fighting to topple the government, died more than two years ago.

A missile-firing drone killed six people in Afghanistan today including a veteran militant believed to have defected to Islamic State (IS) from the Taliban, Afghan officials said.

Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar on Sunday hailed the release of five senior insurgents in exchange for US soldier Bowe Bergdahl as a "big victory".