KABUL: Afghanistan’s spy agency on Monday banned all mourning ceremonies for deceased Taliban chief Mullah Omar, warning that any gatherings condoling his death would be a “legitimate target” for Afghan forces.

Monday’s announcement comes hours after Afghan forces reportedly targeted a funeral ceremony in absentia (Ghaibana Namaz-i-Janaza) for Mullah Omar in the eastern province of Ghazni, killing some insurgents.

“Mullah Omar ... was the biggest cause of war and backwardness in the modern history of Afghanistan,” said Haseeb Siddiqui, spokesman for the National Directorate of Security (NDS).

“He was responsible for the killing of thousands of Afghans. Any commemoration or mourning ceremonies for him are... an insult to the thousands of martyrs of this nation.

“The Afghan government has ordered all security and defence forces that such rallies in his support... are a legitimate military target.” Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, the deputy governor of Ghazni, said the Taliban had organised a ceremony on Monday near the provincial capital.

“They asked local residents to provide 3,000 loaves of bread as well as sheep and cows to slaughter. They blocked the main roads and were forcing locals and passersby to attend the ceremony,” Ahmadi said.

“Government forces launched an attack, killing at least five Taliban and disrupting the ceremony near Ghazni city. “

A Ghazni provincial council member confirmed the incident, saying a “number of Taliban were killed”.

LEADERSHIP CRISIS: Meanwhile, the Afghan government addressed the growing leadership crisis in the Taliban for the first time on Monday, saying it would not deal with the militant group separately from other “armed opposition” in the country.

The statement from President Ashraf Ghani’s office said it would not accept any “parallel political structure” opposed to the Afghan government, a clear reference to the Taliban, who still call themselves the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”.

Fledgling peace talks between the Taliban and the government halted last week after Afghan authorities announced Mullah Mohammad Omar had died two years ago.

Relatives of Mullah Omar have contested Mullah Mansoor’s appointment as his successor, calling for a wider vote that includes battlefield commanders as their nearly 14-year insurgency continues.

The Taliban have been trying to present a unified front in recent days with several statements. On Monday a statement said condolences for Mullah Omar and congratulations for Mullah Mansoor had been flooding them from across Afghanistan.

“All these messages and support show the people’s unity and love toward their Islamic Emirate,” it said.

An internal Taliban split could jeopardise peace talks which began last month. Mullah Mansoor is widely seen as having pushed the Taliban into the negotiations at Islamabad’s bidding.

The Taliban have intensified their attacks on Afghan security forces after Nato and US troops ended their combat mission last year.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2015

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