Afghan Taliban under new chief reject peace talks, vow to continue fighting

The Afghan Taliban under its new leader, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, has rejected peace talks as a viable solution to bringing the Afghan insurgency to an end, and have said that fighting will continue.

An audio message has been released in Pushto, circulated by Taliban commanders, where Haibatullah is saying, "Taliban will never bow their heads and will not agree to peace talks," reports Dawn.

Haibatullah added, "People thought we will lay down our arms after Mullah Mansour's death, but we will continue fighting till the end."

Following the group's chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour death in a US drone strike, the insurgent group said its new leader was Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, a former head of the Taliban's judiciary and one of two Mansour's deputies.

In a statement released by the insurgent group, 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, Zabihullah Mujahid.

Mansour was reportedly killed in Pakistan on Saturday when his vehicle was struck by a US drone.