Afganistan: breakaway Taliban faction appoints new leader

In Afghanistan, the appointment of the new leader of a breakaway faction of the Taliban has prompted fears of a spike in militant attacks.

In a video filmed by Associated Press in south-eastern Zabul province, Emdadullah Mansoor vowed to fight foreign forces and enact revenge for the group’s slain leader, his uncle Mullah Mansoor.

“My name is Emdadullah Mansoor, Mullah Mansoor’s nephew, I accept the leadership of these men based on the decision of the clerics,” he said.

The faction’s longtime leader, Mullah Mansoor, was killed in fighting with rivals last year.

That is thought to highlight the complex layers of Afghanistan’s insurgency, where though dominant, the Taliban is not the only group waging war against the government in Kabul.