Kabul, April 5 (IANS) The Taliban has anointed Mullah Omar's elder son to a senior military position within the Afghan Taliban, the insurgent group has said, according to media reports on Tuesday.
Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the elder son of the former Taliban chief, had previously refused to accept the leadership of the groups chief Mullah Akhtar Mansoor. He will now be in-charge of military commission in 15 of Afghanistans 34 provinces, a Taliban statement said.
The military commission is responsible for overseeing all military affairs of the Taliban and was headed by Mullah Ibrahim Sadr.
In addition to being handed the key military position, he has also been included in the Talibans top decision-making council, the Rehbari Shura.
The Taliban have also inducted Mullah Abdul Manan, Mullah Omars brother and Yaqoobs uncle, into the leadership council, the statement said.
It added that both Yaqoob and Manan have formally assumed their offices at a meeting of Taliban leaders, members of the leadership council and senior commanders.
The Express Tribune has reported that Mondays announcement was part of an understanding between the Taliban leadership and Mullah Omars family.
At one stage, Yaqoob and Manan were unwilling to accept top positions in the group when Mansoors fighters had launched operations against those who refused to pledge their allegiance to Omars successor, the daily added.
