Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada

Taliban warns US against sending more troops to Afghanistan, says occupation is hampering peace

The Taliban warned the US against sending more Western troops to Afghanistan on Friday, while pledging that it sought only independence under Islamic rule and rejecting concerns it would harbour foreign militants

Meet Haibatullah Akhundzada: All you need to know about the new Taliban chief

Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada was appointed as the new Taliban chief after Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US drone strike last week

New Taliban leader has the chance to choose 'peace' and work towards a negotiated solution: US

The new Taliban leader has an opportunity to choose peace and to work towards a negotiated solution to join the Afghan-led peace talks, the US said. "We would hope that he would seize the opportunity," State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters at his daily news conference on Wednesday.

Afghan Taliban appoints new leader following Mansour's death

The Afghan Taliban has confirmed that its former leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US drone strike last week and appointed a successor.