WANA (Feb 27) – The Taliban has rejected claims that its supreme leader was targeted or killed in recent Pakistani airstrikes, describing the reports as “completely false” and part of a media campaign aimed at disinformation.

 

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s chief spokesperson, said in remarks delivered in Kandahar that rumors about an attack on the leadership of the “Islamic Emirate” were baseless. He accused hostile actors of spreading the claims to manufacture propaganda gains.

 

The allegations, circulated by an unverified social media account on X, asserted that Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada had been killed in Pakistani fighter jet strikes. Taliban officials, including deputy spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat, firmly denied the reports and said the group’s leadership remains unharmed.

 

Sources familiar with the matter indicated that Pakistani strikes targeted a property associated with Mullah Omar, the Taliban’s former leader, in Kandahar, located far from the current residence of Akhundzada.

 

Addressing broader tensions with Islamabad, Mujahid criticized what he described as repeated violations of Afghan airspace and attacks on civilian areas, while reiterating Kabul’s preference for resolving disputes through dialogue. He stressed that Afghanistan would exercise its right to self-defense if necessary but remains committed to diplomatic engagement.

 

The Taliban also rejected attempts to link Afghanistan to Pakistan’s long-running conflict with Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), calling it an internal Pakistani matter. Despite escalating rhetoric and cross-border tensions, Taliban officials insist their foreign policy is based on mutual respect and non-interference.