Who’s who in the Taliban
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1 Mullah Omar: Co-founder of Taliban, which emerges in
1994 from chaos of Afghan civil war.
Omar imposes ruthless brand of Sharia (Islamic law), with public executions, brutal oppression of women and ban on music, cinema and TV.
Taliban confirms Omar died in Pakistan in 2013
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2 Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar: Co-founder. Imprisoned in Pakistan for eight years. Released in 2018, moved to Qatar as head of Taliban political office. Baradar signs Doha peace deal with Trump administration in Feb 2020, which was to lead to power-sharing talks between Taliban and Kabul government
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3 Mullah Akhtar Mansour: Replaced Omar as leader. Killed in U.S. drone strike in Pakistan in May 2016
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Haibatullah Akhundzada: Islamic legal scholar appointed leader of Taliban following death
of Mansour
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5 Sirajuddin Sher Haqqani: Leads Mohammad Haqqani network – believed to have introduced suicide bombing to Afghanistan
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6 Abbas Stanekzai: Head of Taliban’s political office in Qatar since
2015
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Sources: Reuters, National Geographic Pictures: Associated Press, FBI © GRAPHIC NEWS