Taliban leader death: Who was Mullah Omar?

BBC News/July 29, 2015

Mullah Mohammed Omar has seemed like a cat with nine lives.

There have been numerous unconfirmed reports the leader of Afghanistan's Taliban died before now.

But this time they're being taken more seriously after the Afghan government said on Wednesday he died of health problems in 2013.

So what do we know about him?

Described by the militants as having a "special sense of humour", he was recognisable for the shrapnel injury in his right eye.

He became "supreme leader" of the Taliban in 1996 and was close to Osama Bin Laden before the al-Qaeda leader's death.

Under his rule in Afghanistan, there was a strict interpretation of Islamic law.

Women were strongly discouraged from leaving their homes, denied schooling and jobs and forced to fully cover themselves.

Women found guilty of adultery were stoned to death, homosexuals were crushed under brick walls, thieves' hands amputated and those accused of murder publicly executed by victims' families.

Muslims converting to other religions could be sentenced to death and the country's ancient Buddhist statues were demolished.

While in power, Mullah Omar rarely left his large house in Kandahar, apparently built for him by Bin Laden.

The two were reported to have spoken by satellite telephone every day and some believe they also met for fishing trips.

It's even thought Omar married Bin Laden's eldest daughter and that Bin Laden may have taken one of Omar's daughters as his fourth wife.

But in 2001, his alliance with Bin Laden prompted the US-led invasion of Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington.

When US-led forces overthrew his government in 2001, he went into hiding and wasn't seen in public after that day.

But that was a written message on the Taliban website, not an audio or video recording, fuelling rumours his health.

In the last few years, even some high-ranking Taliban have started asking questions about their leader's health, life and ability to run the insurgency.

While the Taliban's day-to-day affairs have been managed by his deputies, everything else has revolved around Mullah Omar's name.

How significant is Afghanistan's Taliban now?

Despite the 2001 invasion, in which 453 British troops died, the Taliban was not defeated as planned.

In fact many argue the group became stronger than ever in recent years.

The militants steadily extended their influence, making huge parts of Afghanistan insecure and increasingly violent.

But the group's also becoming increasingly splintered.

That's despite a $10m (£6m) US reward for his capture and one of the world's biggest manhunts.

Even before his government was forced from power, he was a reclusive figure - few pictures of him exist.

Since then, the Taliban has released several messages apparently from the leader.

The last audio message came in 2006. It had been leaked and wasn't meant for public eyes.

Earlier this month, a statement released in his name expressed support for the peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

The lack of evidence that Mullah Omar was alive has been a big factor in the defection of several senior Taliban commanders to the group known as Islamic State (IS).

And the latest announcement could cause more tensions as a new leader's chosen.

It's also likely to upset those who'll believe they were misled for years. And members whose loyalties lay with Omar could now be more likely to defect.

IS has also made big inroads in Afghanistan, taking control of significant areas.

And on an international scale, IS is now clearly seen as the biggest Islamist threat to the west.

Prime Minister David Cameron has called IS "one of the biggest threats the world has ever faced".

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