Haji Zaid, spokesperson of the Taliban governor in Kandahar, announced that the group’s leader has appointed Mohammad Ali Hanafi, also known as Mullah Shirin, as the new governor of Kandahar.

Mullah Shirin had been the Taliban’s deputy defence minister of intelligence affairs.

He enjoys close relations with the Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada. He also had close ties with Taliban’s first leader Mullah Omar.

Before Shirin, Yusoof Wafa had been the Taliban’s governor in Kandahar.

According to Haji Zaid, Mullah Shirin will be introduced as the governor of Kandahar on Thursday.

He said that along with several other senior Taliban officials, Sirajuddin Haqqani the group’s interior minister will also participate in the ceremony which is to be held for the introduction of the new Taliban governor.