News Analysis: Crack further widened in Taliban rank as third splinter group emerged

Another breakaway Taliban group called "Dadullah Mahaz" which means Dadullah front announced its existence in Afghanistan's southern Zabul province on Sunday, a source close to the newly emerged armed faction Mawlawi Nematullah Samim said Wednesday.

According to Samim, the newly splinter Taliban group is headed by Imdadullah Mansoor, the nephew of Taliban dreadful leader Mullah Mansoor Dadullah who was killed in infighting in Khak-e-Afghan district of the troubled Zabul province 10 months ago.

Meantime, observers familiar with the Taliban developments believe that the new splinter group demonstrates more fragmentation within the Taliban rank and exposes failure in the armed outfit's leadership to keep the militant outfit united.

"More fragmentation within Taliban rank means more weakness of the armed group," a political expert in the southern Kandahar province told Xinhua.

Declining to reveal his name due to security reasons, the analyst said that Taliban's division into two groups and then to three rival factions will undermine the group's advocacy for its so-called Jihad or holy war among its supporters.

"Taliban ideology's credibly for the continuation of jihad or holy war would be questioned by its supporters and they would ask if the group is right in fighting against the government, why is it facing internal differences and infighting?" the observer asserted.

Mawlawi Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor succeeded Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar after the confirmation of Omar's death in August last year, but his succession was challenged by Mawlawi Mohammad Rasoul Akhund as illegitimate.

Akhtar Mansoor was killed in U.S. drone strike in May this year and his deputy Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada succeeded him as new leader of the hardliner group.

However, Rasoul Akhund challenged Haibatullah's leadership as illegal and since then hundreds of fighters from both sides have been killed due to infighting between supporters and opponents of Haibatullah.

The emergence of new breakaway Taliban group under Imdadullah Mansoor is the third splinter group that has been emerged since the confirmation of the death of Taliban founder Mullah Omar in August, last year.

Imdadullah Mansoor, the leader of newly emerged Taliban group, is the nephew of Taliban dreadful commander Mullah Mansoor Dadullah who was killed in infighting by Akhtar Mansoor's men in Khak-e-Afghan district of Zabul province in November.

The young and inexperienced Imdadullah Mansoor in his maiden speech among his supporters released in a video called for trial of those behind the killing of his uncle Mansoor Dadullah.

Mawlawi Nematullah Samim who is serving as deputy to the leader of new splinter group "Dadullah Mahaz" in the video demanded the trial and punishment of all those involved in the murder of late Taliban leader Mansoor Dadullah and his comrades.

"The remarks of the leaders of newly emerged Taliban group Dadullah Mahaz virtually convey the message of more fighting among Taliban rival factions," the analyst maintained.

With regard to peace talks with the Afghan government, Mawlawi Samim said in the video that his faction is supportive to peace talks, a process which has been opposed by Haibatullah as meaningless practice.

Emergence of new Taliban faction is taking place amid ongoing fierce fighting between Taliban main faction led by Haibatullah and government forces in several parts of the conflict-hit Afghanistan.

"The new splinter group and its remarks would definitely weaken the embattling Taliban militants on the battle ground, eventually facilitate the government to exploit the situation for its interests," political analyst and editor-in-chief of the Daily Afghanistan told Xinhua. Endit