The Afghan Taliban, under its new leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, has rejected peace talks as a viable solution to bringing Afghan insurgency to an end, and have said that the fighting will continue.
An audio message has been released in Pushto, circulated by Taliban commanders, where Akhundzada said, "Taliban will never bow their heads and will not agree to peace talks," Dawn reported.
Haibatullah added, "People thought we will lay down our arms after Mullah Mansour's death, but we will continue fighting till the end."
Following the group's chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour death in a US drone strike, the insurgent group said its new leader was Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, a former head of the Taliban's judiciary and one of two Mansour's deputies.
In a statement released by the insurgent group, Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of a network blamed for many high-profile bombs attacks in Kabul in recent years, and Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of former leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, will serve as deputies, Zabihullah Mujahid.
Mansour was reportedly killed in Pakistan on Saturday when his vehicle was struck by a US drone.
The Afghan Taliban also released a photograph of the group's newly-appointed supreme leader.
The militant group gave no further details regarding Akhundzada's background.
However, former Afghan Intelligence Chief Rahmatullah Nabil has said that Akhundzada was a village Mullah and has no military or political experience, reports Khaama Press.
He also tweeted, "Haibatullah, a village Mullah, 56, no military and political experience, Yaqoub, 24, no mil & politic exper, Saraj will b defacto leader."
Nabil meant that other deputy, the leader of the Haqqani terrorist network, Sirajuddin Haqqani will be defacto leader of the group.
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