Conflicting reports on fate of Taliban chief Mullah Omar killed, says Afghan TV
Taliban dubs report 'pure propaganda'
Source: The Sangai Express / Headlines Today Bureau

Islamabad, May 23 2011: Conflicting reports are emerging from Pakistan on Mullah Omar after Afghan TV reported that the Taliban chief was killed in strike.

It was not sure whether the strike was by the NATO or Pakistani forces.

The report said the elusive Mullah Mohammad Omar was killed by Pakistani forces in an operation.

But another report claimed that Mullah Omar was killed on the way from Quetta to North Waziristan in a covert NATO operation.

However, it is not yet clear how he was killed and under what circumstances.

But soon, Afghan Taliban denied the reports calling them ''pure propaganda'.

It said their chief is hale and hearty.

Security experts in Pakistan also questioned the reports about the killing of Mullah Omar.

An Afghanistan security official confirmed the killing, saying, it is correct that Mullah Omar has been killed.

But he did not disclose details.

The reported killing of Mullah Omar has sent rumour mills churning in Pakistan.

Headlines Today spoke to former ISI chief Hamid Gul, over the phone.

Gul trashed the report of Omar's death as American propaganda.

Big success in terror war : After Osama Bin Laden's death, the reported killing of Mullah Omar is the second biggest success of the forces combating terror across the world.

Mullah Mohammed Omar was the spiritual leader of the Taliban movement that operates in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He had a 25 million dollar reward on his head.

He was Afghanistan's de facto head of State from 1996 to late 2001 under the official title ''Head of the Supreme Council'' .

He held the title of Commander of the Faithful of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan officially recognised by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

He has been on the FBI's wanted list since 2001 for sheltering bin Laden and other Al Qaeda terrorists in the years prior to the 9/11 attacks.

According to several accounts, Mullah Omar lost an eye while fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan in the early 1990s.IC-814 hijack link : Mullah Omar has been a constant irritant for India as well.

The Taliban was in power and Mullah Omar its officiating chief during the infamous Kandahar episode where an Indian Airlines plane was hijacked.

India had bowed to the hijackers' demand and released such terrorists as Maulana Masood Azhar, Sheikh Umar Sayed and Mustaq Ahmed Jargar in a humiliating swap.

The then Home Minister of the NDA Government Jaswant Singh escorted the terrorists.

Indian Airlines flight IC 814 with 160 passengers was hijacked by terrorists on December 26, 1999 to Kandahar.

The plane was flying from Kathmandu to New Delhi.

Mullah Omar had played a key role in the swap of passengers and had given a free hand and tactical help to the hijackers who used Afghan soil.

India's Home Minister P.Chidambaram said on Monday, "Any incident in this region should cause grave concern.

We have alerted states.

We had information on movement of Mullah Omar.

Today Afghan authorities have announced his death" .

Comment