New Taliban Chief Akhundzada is a Scholar, Not a Soldier

• The Afghan Taliban appointed Haibatullah Akhunzada as their new leader, and confirmed the death of their former leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, in a US drone strike last week, according to a statement released by the insurgency group.
  
  
• Haibatullah is a former head of the Taliban’s judiciary and was deputy to Mansoor.
  
  
• Sirajuddin Haqqani, head of a network blamed for many high-profile bombs attacks in Kabul in recent years, and Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of former leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, will serve as deputies, the statement said.
  

(With inputs from Reuters.)