A former Taliban governor for Kandahar and member of the rebel group’s leadership council, Mullah Hassan Rahmani, has died of hepatitis in a Pakistan hospital, a source said on Tuesday.
The source close to insurgent movement told Pajhwok Afghan News Rahmani breathed his last on Monday night due to a hepatitis-B virus infection in Patel hospital Karachi, Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the Taliban confirmed in a statement the death of their senior leader, who was reportedly a key peace negotiator. “We announce the sad news that Rahmani died early Tuesday.”
Rahmani, a member of the group’s Leadership Council, had served as a governor of Kandahar and head of the southern zone during the group’s rule from 1996-2001
Rahmani had rejected in recent times the election of Mullah Akhtar Mansoor as new Taliban leader after the demise of Mullah Omar in 2013. But later he announced allegiance to Mansoor.
