KABUL: Afghanistan's intelligence services said Monday that Taliban leader Mullah Omar had “disappeared from his hideout” in Quetta, Pakistan, up to five days ago but could not confirm his death. “We can confirm that he has been disappeared from his hideout in Quetta, Baluchistan,” said Latifullah Mashal, spokesman for the National Directorate of Security. “He has disappeared from his location during the last four to five days,” he added, speaking in English. “So far we cannot confirm the killing of Mullah Omar officially.” Mashal was speaking at a news conference after an Afghan source speaking anonymously claimed Omar was dead, while another said he had been missing for 11 days. The Taliban denied the report in the Afghan press Omar had been killed in neighboring Pakistan, saying Monday that he is alive and in Afghanistan. “This is absolutely wrong. It's only propaganda and we completely deny these rumors,” Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told The Associated Press in a phone call. “He is inside Afghanistan and he is busy directing military operations with his commanders.” There has been much speculation that the US might ramp up efforts to kill or capture the reclusive, one-eyed Taliban leader after the successful strike against Osama Bin Laden. President Barack Obama has said he would order another covert military raid if it was necessary to stop terrorist attacks. Most of those with knowledge of the Taliban organization say Omar is hiding in southern Pakistan, around Quetta or Karachi. Afghan news channel Tolo quoted an anonymous Afghan intelligence official as saying Omar had been shot dead in Pakistan while being moved from Quetta to North Waziristan with the help of former Pakistani intelligence chief Gen. Hamid Gul. North Waziristan is a tribal area home to militants whose primary focus is attacking US and NATO troops across the border in Afghanistan. A Pakistani intelligence official said that there was no information to suggest the report of Omar's death was true. Gul told the AP that the story was false. “This is propaganda, sheer deception, disinformation,” Gul said. “I have never met him. I've never seen him. No contact whatsoever.”
