The publication, which offers information about his background, personal life and daily activities, comes as the Taliban faces increasing competition from the Islamic State for recruits to militant Islam.
According to the biography, Omar was born 1960 in the village of Chah-i-Himmat, in the Khakrez district of Kandahar province, in the south of the Afghanistan. In 1996, he became "leader of the Islamic Emirate," and was conferred the title ‘Amir-ul-Momineen,’ meaning leader of the pious believers.
Assuring followers that Omar is continuing to carry out his duties as Taliban leader, in a section entitled "His daily activities in the present circumstances," the Taliban write that "in the present crucial conditions and regularly being tracked by the enemy, no major change and disruption has been observed in the routine works of Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’ in following and organizing the Jihadi activities as the leader of the Islamic Emirate."
Listing Omar's militant activities in a section named "Jihadi struggles," the biography reveals that from 1983 to 1991 the leader "executed very successful operations" in Kandahar province, when "his preferred weapon of choice was the RPG-7," a grenade launcher. It also discloses that during military confrontations with Russian troops during this period, Omar was wounded four times and lost his right eye.
Including sections on Omar's personal life, education and ideology, the biography explains in a chapter called "His charismatic personality" that "As a leading personality, Mullah Mohammad Umar ‘Mujahid’ has a unique and charismatic personality. Contrary to high ranking officials and leaders, he does not want to show off or boast."
Earlier this year a militant commander from the northeastern province of Kunar was reported as saying that Omar's lack of visibility and leadership was leading the Taliban to lose members. "We have been fighting for years but we don't have an inch of land in our possession in Afghanistan," said the commander.
"We have serious doubts about whether he [Omar] is alive at all… Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is visible and is leading his people."
Last week the terrorist group Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, based in the north of Afghanistan, reportedly released a video pledging allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria as its new leader, having previously followed Omar's leadership.
According to a spokesman seen in the video, which showed the beheading of an Afghan soldier by the militants, they no longer view Omar as their leader because he has not been seen for 13 years and therefore "according to Sharia law" can no longer be leader.
