Afghan media foresee rift in Taliban rank

Afghanistan newspapers in their editorials on Sunday predicted split in the rank of Taliban leadership after the mysterious death of the armed outfit's reclusive leader Mullah Mohammad Omar.

Although Mullah Omar's death had been circled among political and intelligence circles over the past two years, Afghan government confirmed it formally on Wednesday, an incident verified by Taliban a day later on Thursday.

"Crack in Taliban leadership has surfaced as some of the senior leaders in the group have challenged the new leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor as substitute to Mullah Omar," the daily Etilaat- e-Roz writes in its editorial on Sunday.

According to the paper, several members of Taliban leadership council, including Mullah Hassan Akhund and Mullah Abdul Razaq Akhund, the two right hand men of late Omar have been lobbying for Mullah Omar's 23-year-old son Mawlawi Yaqub to replace his father as Amirul Mominin (Supreme Commander of faithful Muslims).

"The rift among Taliban elements and differences over who should lead the extremist group would divide the militants and eventually weaken the outfit," the paper Etilaat-e-Roz wrote in its editorial.

"In the wake of Mullah Omar's death, Taliban insurgents would be divided into two or more groups," a Kabul-based weekly Kherad, foresaw in its editorial.

Kherad also predicted that those Taliban elements opposing peace talks would join the more extreme group -- so-called Islamic State (IS) commonly known as Daesh and others would join the peace talks with Afghan government.

"The death of Mullah Omar could be the last nail to the coffin of Taliban group," another paper Sadai Mardom (Voice of People) predicted in its editorial on Sunday.

However, the paper warned those militants opposing peace talks would join the Daesh group to keep on fighting and insurgency in Afghanistan.