Terrorist with $10m bounty on his head made interior minister as Taliban announce new government

Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund will head up the new government in Afghanistan, the militants confirm

A wanted terrorist with a $10 million US bounty on his head has been made Afghanistan’s interior minister as the Taliban announced a caretaker government packed with the movement’s old guard.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, the movement’s deputy leader, is accused of overseeing some of the worst atrocities of the militants’ insurgent campaign, but will now take control of a key ministry in the Taliban administration.

His position was announced as the Taliban set out a cabinet entirely staffed by the group’s members, despite vows to set up a broad-based new government.

The 33-strong line-up contains no women and is dominated by Taliban stalwarts from the Pashtun ethnic group.

The administration will be led by interim prime minister Mullah Hasan Akhund, a low-profile Taliban veteran who was a close associate and political advisor to Mullah Omar, the founder of the movement and its first supreme leader.

Mullah Omar’s son, Mullah Yaqoob, was named as defence minister.