Politics

Taliban Leader Promises His Fighters Won't Go for a Power Grab After Foreign Troops Leave

Mullah Omar is not a fan of elections

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Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar has said that his fighters will not seek to monopolise power when foreign troops withdraw from Afghanistan next year.

In a speech marking the Muslim festival of Eid, he said the Taliban will try to reach an understanding with the Afghan people for "an inclusive government based on Islamic principles".

Mullah Omar also reiterated his disdain for elections, scheduled for next year.

He has been in hiding since 2001 and has a $10m (£6.5m) bounty on his head.

The BBC's Karen Allen in Kabul says that Mullah Omar's statement has been described as "genuine" by analysts.