Taliban Denies Mullah Akhtar Mansoor Dead in US Strike
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Afghan Taliban denied reports that its leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor was killed in a US air strike in Pakistan.
On Saturday, US officials briefed the media that a drone attack authorized by US President Barack Obama had likely killed him and another Taliban member.
The office of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani confirmed the strike but could not confirm Mansoor's death. Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah said that Mansoor was "more than likely" dead.
Officials said the strike happened at about 1000 GMT, which would have put it late on Friday night in the target area.
The Taliban has a history of denying reports that could hurt its standing.
False rumors on the deaths of the group's officials, though, have circulated before. In December, Afghan officials said Mansoor had died after a gunfight. The Taliban later released an audio message from him in which he denied he had been killed.
Several drones targeted the men as they travelled in a vehicle in a remote part of Pakistan near the border with Afghanistan, southwest of the town of Ahmad Wal, one US official said.
The Pentagon confirmed the US army had tried to kill Mansoor, but gave no information about his condition.
"We are still assessing the results of the strike and will provide more information as it becomes available," spokesman Peter Cook said.
Al Jazeera's Mohammad Vall, reporting from Kabul, said the timing of the strike was significant because the Afghan government warned it would take action against the group for not participating in the talks.
"They refused to show at the negotiating table, so the Afghan President recently said that now it’s time for us to act and go after them. The Quadrilateral Coordination Group (QCG), made up of representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States were urged to show their military role," he said
"If it is proved that Mullah Mansoor has died in the strike, it would be a major blow to the Taliban."