Peshawar: Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the eldest son of late Mullah Omar, has revealed that his father died of Hepatitis C.
In an audio tape released on Sunday night, authenticated by Afghan Taliban sources, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob said, "I want to assure you my father did die a natural death. He had been ill for sometime but his condition deteriorated. We enquired from doctors. It seems he was suffering from HCV (Hepatitis C)".
"He stayed in Afghanistan even after the US-led invasion of our country. He died there and was laid to rest there", his son said.
"He had not appointed anyone as his successor", said Mullah Omar's son, in an apparent dig at the current Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Mansour, who was elected the chief, the day after the Afghan Taliban revealed that Mullah Omar had been dead for more than two years.
Mullah Mansour concealed the information about Mullah Omar's death for more than two years in order to keep the outfit united. He is said to be close to Pakistan's spy agency ISI, and was the key Taliban leader who had taken the four terrorists to safety, released by India during the Kandahar hijacking.
Mullah Omar's 27-year-old son Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob said on Sunday: "If unity can return with my death, I am willing to carry out suicide.. We are ready for whatever order the (shura) council gives us. We are ready to work in any capacity, whether on a high level or a lower level."
