The Taliban militant group in Afghanistan has made no comment on Kabul’s announcement that their leader Mullah Omar has been dead for some time.

Taliban on Thursday posted a string of messages on its English-language website but made no mention of the reports of the death of Mullah Omar.

On Wednesday, Afghan authorities claimed that Omar had died two years ago in Pakistan. It was the first such official confirmation from Kabul after earlier reports of unnamed government sources on the reclusive Taliban leader’s death.

Mullah Omar has not been seen publicly since the 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan, which toppled the Taliban government in Kabul.

Haseeb Sediqi, the spokesman for Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, told AFP that Omar died in a hospital in the Pakistani city of Karachi “under mysterious circumstances.”

Meanwhile, the Taliban militant group also distanced itself from the peace talks that had been expected this week with the Afghan government.

“Media outlets are circulating reports that peace talks will take place very soon... either in the country of China or Pakistan,” Taliban said on its website.

“(Our) political office... are [sic] not aware of any such process,” added the statement. No immediate reaction was available from the Afghan government.

The government in Kabul, elected last year, has embarked on a peace process with Taliban.