QUETTA: An important leader of Afghan Taliban and former governor of Kandahar, Mullah Hassan Rehmani, died in the early hours of Tuesday, sources said.

The sources close to the Taliban said he was suffering from cancer.

Mullah Rehmani was a founder member of the Afghan movement and Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar had appointed him as governor of Kandahar in 1996.

AFP adds: Two Taliban sources said he died in a hospital in Quetta.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2016