Following the Taliban “shocking” invasion of Afghanistan and capture of Kabul on August 15, several leaders have emerged as the group tried to create an image of themselves as a more moderate “Taliban 2.0”, Oyogist reports.
Despite that, the profiles of the figures at the top of the Taliban’s hierarchy show their violent past is their violent present.
Oyogist looks at the top three Taliban new rulers.
HIBATULLAH AKHUNDZADA: Supreme Commander
HIBATULLAH became Supreme Commander of the Taliban in May 2016, after his predecessor, Akhtar Mansour got killed by a drone strike.
Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri proffered his support when Akhundzada ascended to the role, hailing him as an “emir of the believers”.
2. ABDUL GHANI BARADAR: First deputy, political leader
Baradar is at the top of the hierarchy of Akhundzada’s three deputies. Born in 1968, he became friends with Mohammad Omar as an adolescent.
After the Soviets war, Baradar joined other like minded individuals in founding the Taliban in 1994.
Baradar was a leading player in the notorious Quetta Shura that reportedly directed Taliban operations from Pakistani territory after the 2001 US invasion toppled the Afghan Islamists – until his capture in Karachi in 2010.
3. MOHAMMAD YAQOOB: Deputy, military leader
Yaqoob is Mohammad Omar’s son and the head of the Taliban’s military activities.As his father remains a talismanic figure for the Islamist group, Yaqoob was considered as a possible supreme commander after Mansour was killed in 2016.
