Afghan Taliban names Haibatullah Akhundzada to succeed Mullah Mansour

Sirajuddin Haqqani, an implacable foe of US forces and Mullah Yakoub, the son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar, appointed deputies

Former Taliban Chief Mullah Mansour was killed in a US drone strike in Pakistan's Balochistan province

The Afghan Taliban on Wednesday announced influential religious figure Haibatullah Akhundzada as their new leader after confirming supremo Mullah Akhtar Mansour's death in a US drone strike.

Haibatullah was one of two deputies under Mansour, who was killed in a US drone strike on Saturday, the first known American assault on a top Afghan Taliban leader on Pakistani soil.

"Haibatullah Akhundzada has been appointed as the new leader of the Islamic Emirate (Taliban) after a unanimous agreement in the shura (supreme council), and all the members of shura pledged allegiance to him," the Islamist group said in a statement.

It added that Sirajuddin Haqqani, an implacable foe of the US, and Mullah Yakoub, the son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar, were appointed his deputies.

Mansour's killing is a major blow to the militant movement just nine months after he was formally appointed leader following a bitter power struggle, and sent shockwaves through the leadership.

Haibatullah's appointment comes after the Taliban's supreme council held emergency meetings that began Sunday in southwest Pakistan to find a unifying figure for the leadership post.

Taliban sources told AFP the supreme council members were lying low and constantly changing the venue of their meetings to avoid airstrikes.