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Taliban Confirms Death of Former Australian Hostage Jibra’il Omar

Taliban Confirms Death of Former Australian Hostage Jibra'il Omar

The Taliban confirmed the death of Timothy Weeks, who had converted to Islam and adopted the name Jibra’il Omar, on Wednesday. He passed away after battling cancer, as stated by Afghanistan’s interior ministry.

Omar, an academic, was abducted in 2016 along with an American colleague while leaving the American University in Kabul and was held captive for over three years. Both were released in 2019 through a prisoner swap with the Taliban.

Read more: Pak-Afghan Relations Strained Amid Airstrike Allegations

After his release, Omar, deeply attached to Afghanistan, returned to Kabul in 2022 after the Taliban regained control of the country. He worked as an English teacher and devoted his time to studying Islam, traveling across Afghanistan to deepen his knowledge.

The Taliban expressed condolences to his family, and Anas Haqqani, a senior official, shared a tribute to Omar on social media, highlighting their bond formed during captivity.

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