Mullah Yaqoob

Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid[1] (Pashto/Dari: محمد یعقوب, Pashto pronunciation: [mʊˈhamad jaˈqub], Dari pronunciation: [mʊˈhammad jaːˈqʊb]; born 1990) is an Afghan Islamic scholar, cleric, and Islamist militant[2] who has served as the second deputy leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban) since 2016. Since the 2021 fall of Kabul, this position has made him the de facto second deputy head of state of Afghanistan. He has also been the Taliban's military chief since 2020, and is the acting defense minister of Afghanistan in the Islamic Emirate's caretaker cabinet.

"Mohammad Yaqoob" redirects here. For the governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, see Muhammad Yaqub. For the Pakistani Olympic hurdler, see Muhammad Yaqub (athlete).
Mohammad Yaqoob
محمد یعقوب
Yaqoob in 2022
Acting Defense Minister of Afghanistan
Assumed office
7 September 2021
Prime MinisterHasan Akhund (acting)
DeputyMohammad Fazl (acting)
Abdul Qayyum Zakir (acting)
LeaderHibatullah Akhundzada
Preceded byAbdul Qayyum Zakir (acting)
Head of the Military Commission of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Assumed office
7 May 2020
DeputyIbrahim Sadr
Preceded byIbrahim Sadr
Second Deputy Leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Assumed office
(as deputy head of state of Afghanistan)
15 August 2021
Preceded bySarwar Danish (as Second Vice President)
Assumed office
25 May 2016
LeaderHibatullah Akhundzada
Preceded bySirajuddin Haqqani
Personal details
Born1990 (age 31–32)
NationalityAfghan
Parent(s)
EthnicityPashtun
ReligionSunni Islam
Political affiliationTaliban
Military service
AllegianceIslamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Branch/service
Commands
  • Deputy Head of the Military Affairs Commission (Southwestern Zone) (2016–2020)
  • Head of the Military Affairs Commission (2020–present)
Battles/warsWar in Afghanistan (2001–2020)

Biography

Yaqoob is an ethnic Pashtun of the Hotak tribe, which is part of the larger Khilji branch. He is the eldest son of the late Taliban founder Mohammed Omar.[3] He received his religious education in various seminaries in Karachi, Pakistan.[4]

When his father died in April 2013 and rumors escalated that he had been assassinated by rival Akhtar Mansour, Yaqoob denied the rumor, insisting that his father had died of natural causes.[5]

Leadership positions

In 2016, Yaqoob was assigned by the Taliban to be in charge of the military commission in 15 of Afghanistan's 34 provinces. The military commission, then headed by Ibrahim Sadr, is responsible for overseeing all military affairs of the Taliban. In addition, Yaqoob was included in the Taliban's top decision-making council, the Rehbari Shura.[6]

Mansour's death was announced on 21 May 2016 and he was replaced by Hibatullah Akhundzada as the Taliban leader. Sirajuddin Haqqani, a deputy to Mansour and leader of the Haqqani network, retained his position as Taliban deputy leader to Akhundzada, and Yaqoob was appointed the second deputy to the Taliban chief.[7][8]

COVID-19 pandemic

On 7 May 2020 he was appointed head of the Taliban military commission, replacing Sadr and making Yaqoob the insurgents' military chief.[9] On 29 May 2020, influential senior Taliban commander Mualana Muhammad Ali Jan Ahmed told Foreign Policy that Yaqoob became the acting leader to the entire Taliban after Akhundzada became infected with COVID-19, stating "Our hero, the son of our great leader, Mullah Yaqoob, is running the entire Taliban operation in Haibatullah's absence."[10]

Provisional Taliban government

Yaqoob is the acting defense minister of Afghanistan in the Caretaker Cabinet of the Islamic Emirate, appointed on 7 September 2021.[11]

Views

Mohammed Yaqoob supported a negotiated settlement to the War in Afghanistan. He was an avid supporter of the former leader of the Taliban, and pro-Saudi, and it's rumored he has ties with them, including the former government of Afghanistan, due to his support of peace and being a moderate.[12]

References
  1. "Acting Defense Minister visits 205th Al-Badr corps". Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan – Voice of Jihad. Helmand. 13 March 2022. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  2. Bezhan, Frud (27 August 2020). "The Rise Of Mullah Yaqoob, The Taliban's New Military Chief". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  3. "Database". www.afghan-bios.info. Archived from the original on 2018-09-06. Retrieved 2018-10-04.
  4. Khan, Tahir (10 May 2020). "Mullah Omar's eldest son takes control of Taliban's military wing". Arab News. Retrieved 31 August 2021. Archived 2020-05-15 at the Wayback Machine
  5. Ahmad, Jibran (14 September 2015). "Taliban's Mullah Omar died of natural causes in Afghanistan, son says". Reuters. Archived from the original on 7 December 2015. Retrieved 30 September 2015.
  6. "Senior Taliban military position given to Mullah Omar's son Mullah Yaqoob". Pakistan Today. April 5, 2016. Archived from the original on May 29, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  7. Gul, Ayaz (May 25, 2016). "Taliban Names New Leader, Confirms Mansoor Death". Voice of America VOA News. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 26, 2016.
  8. "Taliban in Afghanistan: who is in charge?". The National. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  9. Farmer, Ben (7 May 2020). "Taliban founder's son appointed military chief of insurgents". The Telegraph. Retrieved 31 August 2021. Archived 2020-05-12 at the Wayback Machine
  10. O'Donnell, Lynne; Khan, Mirwais (29 May 2020). "Taliban Leadership in Disarray on Verge of Peace Talks". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 2020-06-07. Retrieved 2020-06-07.
  11. "Hardliners get key posts in new Taliban government". BBC News. 7 September 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  12. Bezhan, Frud (August 27, 2021). "The Rise Of Mullah Yaqoob, The Taliban's New Military Chief". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
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