Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has pledged allegiance to the new head of the Taliban.<br /><br /> The announcement came in an audio message, which could not be immediately verified but bore all the signs of an Al Qaeda video. <br /><br /> The pledge to Mullah Mohammad Akhtar Mansour is expected to boost his accession to the head of the extremist group following the death of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar.<br /><br /> Some senior members of the group have questioned his appointment, creating potential divisions.<br /><br /> Offering allegiance to the Taliban also sends a message to the self-proclaimed Islamic State, which is challenging Al-Qaeda for leadership of the global jihadist movement.
