The location of Mullah Omar’s last resting site was made public by the Taliban on Sunday after being kept secret for years following his passing and burial.
After a US-led operation forced the Taliban out of power in 2001, there were several rumors concerning Omar’s condition and whereabouts; the Taliban didn’t acknowledge his death until April 2015, two years after it had occurred.
Senior officials of the organization attended a ceremony at his gravesite earlier in the day close to Omarzo, in the Suri area of Zabul province, according to the Taliban’s Zabihullah Mujahid, who spoke to AFP on Sunday.
The Taliban returned to power in August last year, routing government forces as the US-led military that propped up the regime ended a 20-year occupation.
“Since a lot of enemies were around and the country was occupied, to avoid damage to the tomb it was kept secret,” Mujahid said.
“Only the close family members were aware of the place,” he added.
Pictures released by officials showed Taliban leaders gathered around a simple white brick tomb, covered with what appears to be gravel and enclosed in a green metal cage.
“Now the decision has been made… there are no issues for the people to visit the tomb,” Mujahid said.
Omar started the Taliban in 1993 as a response to the internal civil strife that broke out after the decade-long Soviet occupation. He was roughly 55 years old when he passed away.
Under his direction, the Taliban imposed an exceedingly strict form of Islamic law that forbade women from participating in public life and instituted severe public penalties, such as public hangings and beheadings. The required steps will be taken.
