On Sunday, the Taliban movement in Afghanistan revealed the location of the tomb of the movement's founder, Mullah Muhammad Omar, whose death and burial place has been kept a secret for years.
Rumors spread about Mullah Omar's health and whereabouts after the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001 following the US-led invasion, until Taliban officials admitted in April 2015 that he had died two years earlier.
The movement's spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, told Agence France-Presse on Sunday that prominent leaders of the movement attended earlier a ceremony around his grave near Omarzo in the province of Zabul.
The Taliban regained power in August 2021, which led to the withdrawal of the US-led coalition forces after 20 years of occupation.
"With so many enemies and since the country was occupied, the location of the tomb was kept secret in order to avoid harming it. Only close family members know the location," Mujahid explained.
Pictures released by the authorities showed Taliban leaders gathered around a simple white tomb protected by a green iron cage.
And Mullah Omar - who died at the age of 55 - in 1993 founded the Taliban movement, which seized power in 1996 after years of civil war.