For decades the Taliban's leaders have been shrouded in secrecy. Here's what we know about the key players
CNN
The Taliban's leadership structure has long been a mystery, with little known about how it works beyond the group's most influential figures.
After seizing control of Afghanistan, the Taliban are moving to form a new government, with pledges of inclusivity and reform. But a look at the group's leadership structure suggests that the nature of the new government could very well mirror the Taliban's previous hard-line regime. The group is led by the reclusive Haibatullah Akhundzada, a senior religious cleric in his 50s who was named chief after a US airstrike killed his predecessor in 2016. Hailing from the Taliban heartland of Spin Boldak, in southern Kandahar province, he was involved in the mujahedeen -- or holy Islamic fight -- against the Soviet invasion in the 1980s, and was appointed as the leader of jihadi matters in 2001, according to a Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid.
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