Mohammed Omar was known as a military leader and the founder of the Taliban, a radical Islamic group that rose to power in Afghanistan during the late 1990s. Born and raised in the Kandahar region of Afghanistan, Omar would become one of the most controversial figures in modern Afghan history.
Omar's first involvement in military affairs came during the Soviet-Afghan War in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He fought alongside the Afghan mujahideen against the Soviet Union, gaining firsthand experience in guerrilla warfare and tactics.
Following the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, the country plunged into a brutal civil war. Amid the chaos and instability, Omar founded the Taliban in the early 1990s. The group emerged as a response to the widespread corruption, lawlessness, and social disorder that plagued Afghanistan at the time.
Under Omar's leadership, the Taliban quickly gained control over large parts of Afghanistan, promising to restore stability and enforce strict Islamic law. By 1996, Omar declared himself the Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, imposing harsh Sharia law and implementing oppressive policies that targeted women, minorities, and anyone deemed to be in violation of Islamic principles.
During the Taliban's rule, Omar developed close ties with extremist groups, including al-Qaeda and its leader, Osama bin Laden. Despite international condemnation and pressure, Omar refused to hand over bin Laden to the United States, leading to deteriorating relations with the Western world.
The Taliban's reign came to an abrupt end in 2001 when the United States launched a military campaign in Afghanistan following the September 11th terrorist attacks. The U.S. invasion toppled the Taliban regime and drove Omar into hiding, where he continued to evade capture for years.
In 2015, Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security announced Omar's death due to tuberculosis, though doubts surrounding the circumstances of his passing persisted. His legacy as a divisive and enigmatic figure in Afghan history lives on, with Akhtar Mansoor assuming leadership of the Taliban in his absence.