Kerry: Pakistani Leader Informed of Airstrike on Taliban Leader Mansour
11:45 22.05.2016
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was informed of a drone strike on its territory that targeted the leader of neighboring Afghanistan's Taliban insurgency, US State Secretary John Kerry said Sunday.
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – It remains unclear whether Sharif, as well as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, was informed ahead of or after the strike.
Ghani's office confirmed in a statement Sunday that the United States carried out a drone strike targeting Mansour, adding that it would provide further details if his death was confirmed. Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah speculated earlier that the Taliban leader's purported death would lead to "big changes" in its leadership.
US officials and the Pentagon said a drone strike targeting Mullah Mansour's vehicle killed the Taliban leader near the remote southwestern Pakistani town of Ahmwad Wal along the Afghan border on Saturday.
The claim appeared to be confirmed by senior Taliban leadership to US media outlets.
Mansour succeeded longtime Taliban leader Mullah Omar after his death in 2013 was confirmed in mid-2015.
© Sputnik
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