Afghan Taliban dissident leader Mannan Niazi dies

PESHAWAR: A dissident Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Mannan Niazi has died of injuries that he had suffered in a clash in Afghanistan’s Herat province.

It was reported that he had suffered grievous head and other injuries and died in the hospital in Herat.

Niazi was deputy leader of the splinter group of Taliban led by Mullah Mohammad Rasool. The breakaway faction had opposed the appointment of Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor as the head of the Afghan Taliban movement after the death of the founder Mullah Mohammad Omar. However, this splinter group failed to take off and later most of its leaders rejoined the mainstream Afghan Taliban movement when Shaikh Haibatullah Akhundzada became its new leader on the death of Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor.

Niazi remained opposed to the Afghan Taliban and there were reports he had developed contacts with the Afghan government and was often seen in Kabul. Though, he had neither manpower nor political support he remained critical of the Afghan Taliban leadership and Pakistan.