Mullah Omar

The Taliban on July 30 confirmed the death of their leader Mullah Omar but gave no word about who would take charge of the movement still waging a bloody insurgency in Afghanistan.

The Taliban on July 30 distanced itself from peace talks that had been expected this week with the Afghan government, while making no comment on Kabul's reported death of their leader Mullah Omar.

The Afghan government is investigating reports of the death of Taliban supremo Mullah Omar, a presidential spokesman said on July 29, amid frenzied speculation about the rumoured demise of the reclusive warrior-cleric.

Taliban leader Mullah Omar on July 15 hailed as "legitimate" peace talks aimed at ending Afghanistan's 13-year war, in his first comments on the nascent dialogue.

Afghanistan's president arrived in Tehran April 19 on his first trip to Iran since taking office, with security questions likely to dominate talks after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group claimed a massive suicide bombing.