By Our Correspondents 

Kabul/ISLAMABAD -  A wave of speculation is sweeping through Afghanistan and Pakistan over the fate of the Afghan Taliban's supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, following a series of intense Pakistani airstrikes that have targeted the group's heartland in Kandahar, forcing senior leaders to flee to the central province of Bamyan.

More than two weeks into Pakistan's Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq, uncertainty surrounds whether the reclusive Taliban chief was killed or injured in the strikes, as the group's leadership scatters to remote locations amid fears of further Pakistani attacks.

Central to the speculation about Akhundzada's fate is a strike on a facility described by Taliban sources as the Badri Special Forces headquarters in Kandahar's District 9, a unit considered one of the most trusted under Akhundzada's direct command.

According to Amu TV, sources confirmed that Pakistani airstrikes targeted a Taliban special forces facility linked to Akhundzada on Feb. 27, where fighters loyal to the supreme leader were being trained.

The facility is located near a compound associated with the late Taliban founder Mullah Omar.

A Taliban source in Kabul told The South Asia Times that the Badri headquarters compound included accommodation for Akhundzada and other key Taliban leaders. Some reports circulating on social media claim the Taliban chief was killed in the strike, while others suggest he was injured.

The Taliban have not confirmed either version, with spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid remaining silent when contacted by The South Asia Times, reading a WhatsApp message but providing no response.

Mujahid has, however, earlier disputed the nature of the targets hit. He claimed Pakistani forces struck a section of a drug rehabilitation hospital and an empty shipping container that had previously been used as a Taliban checkpoint, insisting no one was injured.

The Taliban spokesman has previously dismissed reports of Akhundzada's death as "fake news."

However, the group's historical pattern of concealing leadership deaths, including hiding Mullah Omar's passing for two years, has fueled skepticism.

Afghan Taliban spokesman Mujahid separately confirmed in a statement on X that Pakistan struck locations in Kabul, Kandahar, Paktia, and Paktika provinces, and hit a fuel depot near Kandahar Airport.

- Leadership exodus to Bamyan

Regardless of Akhundzada's fate, what is clear is that the Taliban's senior leadership has scattered. Multiple reports indicate that key figures have been airlifted to safer locations, fearing that Pakistan could target them next.

A Taliban source told The South Asia Times that on March 2, some key leaders from Kandahar were shifted to Bamyan province. The source said he was unaware whether Hibatullah Akhundzada was among those relocated, but described the move as “very sudden.”

Afghan media outlet Aamaj News English reported on March 2 that Taliban officials had fled to Bamyan amid fears of Pakistani airstrikes. Sources in the province told the outlet that the officials arrived using five helicopters and have since taken up residence in the area, with the helicopters still stationed at Bamyan Airport.

This week, the exodus expanded. On March 14, several Taliban officials reportedly fled Kabul by helicopter to Ghor province. According to Afghan media, four helicopters carried officials to the remote, mountainous province early Saturday. Local sources in Ghor confirmed the arrivals, saying the movement occurred amid fears of possible Pakistani airstrikes.

Earlier reports also indicated officials had been airlifted to Bamyan and Daikundi provinces. Experts suggest the movement of senior officials to central provinces reflects serious concerns among Taliban authorities about Pakistan's ability to strike them even in Kabul.

Sources say the Kandahar group -- strong supporters of the TTP and other terrorist groups operating against Pakistan -- now fears that Pakistan could target them directly, prompting the leadership to change locations frequently. Currently, it is unknown whether they remain in Bamyan or have moved to northern provinces.

The current escalation began on February 21, when Pakistan hit TTP hideouts in Kandahar, Khost, and Paktika. The Afghan Taliban responded by attacking Pakistani border posts on February 26, prompting Pakistan to launch Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq on February 27.

Since then, Pakistan has conducted airstrikes targeting key Taliban military installations in Kandahar, Kabul, Helmand, Nangarhar, Paktika, and Kunar provinces. Notably, Pakistan also hit Bagram Airbase and reportedly destroyed an Israeli drone hub there, though details remain sketchy.

On Sunday,  Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that since Operation Ghazab-lil-Haq began, Pakistani forces have killed 684 Afghan Taliban operatives and injured 912. He added that 252 terrorist support infrastructure locations across Afghanistan have been targeted in airstrikes, with 44 Afghan posts captured and destroyed, along with 229 tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery guns.

Pakistan says its operations specifically target terrorist hideouts and infrastructure used by groups attacking Pakistani civilians. "No civilian population or infrastructure was targeted as falsely propagated by Afghan regime officials and media," the Pakistani minister emphasized.

- The unanswered question

For now, the central question remains: what has happened to Hibatullah Akhundzada?

The reclusive supreme leader of the Taliban has made only a handful of public appearances since assuming leadership in 2016. Only one widely known photograph of him exists, and he is believed to operate largely from secure locations in Kandahar, rarely appearing in person, even at events held in his name.

Only the Taliban leadership can confirm his current status, but officials in Kabul have so far not responded to repeated requests for comment.