Taliban Kill Six in Kabul Truck Bombing Amid Leadership Infighting

In the wake of the death of Mullah Omar, the leader of the Taliban, the terror group’s leadership structure has been thrown into chaos. However, the group is still pursuing a policy of wanton destruction. Most recently, a truck bombing committed by Taliban militants rocked the province of Kabul, Afghanistan.

“A water truck filled with explosives was detonated when it was stopped at the gate of the Quick Reaction Force [police] compound,” Mohammad Qari Wara, the deputy provincial police chief of Kabul, said.

“It was a powerful explosion which killed three members of the Quick Reaction Force and three civilians.”

Since the beginning of 2015, 1,592 civilians have died in Afghanistan as the result of the Taliban’s terror campaign.

“Thousands of civilians killed and injured from conflict-related violence in the first six months of 2015 demonstrate the continued failure of parties to the conflict to protect civilians from harm,” the United Nations report revealing the statistics said.

Recently, however, the Taliban has faced a leadership crisis in the aftermath of the death of their leader, Mullah Omar.

Members of the Taliban’s senior level Supreme Council elected Mullah Mohammed Akhtar Mansoor, a friend of Mullah Omar’s, to the top spot in the organization. Officially, the Taliban’s leader is called Amirul Momineen, which means “leader of the faithful.”

Some on the Taliban’s Supreme Council, however, do not agree with the decision to elevated Mullah Mansoor. They accuse several high-level military commanders of rigging the process and shutting out the council.

“This decision was taken without our consent. Our Mujahideen have sacrificed their blood for two decades. We have to appoint someone who has a proper knowledge and hold on Sharia and our Afghan values. Mullah Akhtar Mansoor did not even contribute much to our movement,” Mullah Niazi, one of the dissenting voices on the council, told Al Jazeera.

Other Taliban leaders, however, claim that these accusations are “baseless.”

“These claims are absolutely baseless. I reassure you all that I will exert my complete efforts in working for the Islamic Emirate and hope from Allah that I will be one of the most obedient individuals from it,” Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir, one of Mansoor’s supporters, said.

Whatever the situation with the Taliban’s leadership, the foot soldiers of terrorism are still on the group, and still targeting civilians. It is unlikely the situation in Afghanistan will improve any time soon.