TEHRAN Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of Afghan Hizb-i-Islami left Iran for an unknown destination, IRNA quoted an informed source on Tuesday.

Hekmatyar had been living in Iran in the past five year. He had made statements in support of the Taleban while the popular uprising in Afghanistan forced the Taleban to withdraw from the country.

Iran did not recognize the Taleban since it took power in Afghanistan in 1996.

Hekmatyar served as former prime minister of Afghanistan after withdrawal of the former Soviet troops, but he laid a siege to Kabul and launched mortar attacks on Kabul when a dispute arose between him and other ethnic leaders.

It seems that the decision to expel Hekmatyar was made after he said that he would attack Afghanistan, which is currently led by interim Prime Minister Hamid Karzai.

Iran officially announced earlier this month that it had hosted Hekmatyar upon the request of Afghanistan and some Western countries.