Afghan Taliban name a new leader, but peace talks delayed

An Afghan policeman inspects a passenger at a checkpoint in Helmand province, Afghanistan July 30, 2015. REUTERS/Abdul Malik

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - The Taliban have chosen late supreme leader Mullah Omar's longtime deputy to replace him, two militant commanders said on Thursday, as Pakistan announced that peace talks between the insurgents and the Afghan government had been postponed.

Pakistan cited reports of Omar's death as the reason for the delay in negotiations, amid fears they could trigger a potentially bloody succession battle and further deepen divisions within the militant movement.