Taliban spokesmen in Afghanistan have denied that the insurgent group's leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, had died, claiming that a phone message and a posting on the internet were fake.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid told The Associated Press on Wednesday that a text message sent to journalists on his behalf was the result of a phone hack.
"He is overseeing operations in the country," he told the AP. He added that "outsiders must have hacked into Taliban phones and the website".
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Mujahid blamed US intelligence agencies, saying they were trying "to demoralise the Taliban".
Rumours spread that Mullah Omar had died when the text message, allegedly sent from Mujahid, announced that the "Amir ul Mumineen" or "commander of the Muslim faithful" was dead. That title is reserved for the Taliban leader.
Afghan and coalition military officials also said they could not confirm the reports of his death.
Another Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousef Ahmadi, also denied by phone to the AP that Mullah Omar had died.
"Those agents who have been unsuccessful in Afghanistan are now trying to use these tactics to bring down the morale of the mujahedeen," he said.
A message that Mujahid sent later from a different phone number again denied his death.
"The enemies of Islam have released news that esteemed Amir ul Mumineen is dead," the second message from Mujahid said. "That is completely baseless. It is a lie. Amir ul Mumineen is alive and he is busy with his daily works and organising the mujahedeen."
A spokeswoman for NATO-led troops in Afghanistan said they had no information about the incident, Reuters reported.
The Taliban regularly change the addresses of their websites, and website addresses are often corrupt or link to other websites such as dating or online shopping sites.
A "security encyclopedia" for Islamist militants posted online several years ago -- and translated by the U.S.-based SITE institute -- urged strict precautions when using mobile phones, warning that Mullah Omar had come close to being assassinated after his phone signal gave away his whereabouts.
The Taliban is also concerned about Afghans using mobile phones to pass on information to foreign and government troops.
Mullah Omar has led the decade-long insurgency against the US-led military coalition and the Afghan government of President Hamid Karzai.
He ruled most of Afghanistan as leader of its Taliban government before the US and its allies invaded on October 7, 2001, in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
The decision to invade was tied to Mullah Omar's decision to shelter al-Qaeda's now deceased leader, Osama bin Laden. The invasion ended Mullah Omar's nearly five-year rule of Afghanistan, a time when the Taliban government imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic law.
