Afghan Government Confirms Death of Taliban Leader Mullah Mansour

Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour has died, first Afghani Vice President Soltan Fayazi told Afghan news agency Bokhdi.

According to him, the Taliban leader was injured on Thursday during a local gunfight in the Pakistani city of Quetta. Then he was admitted to a hospital where he died from injuries.

Fayazi also confirmed that Mullah Abdollah Sarhadi, one of the Taliban’s former commanders, has been killed in the gunfight.

The information was also confirmed to Sputnik by several sources.

Earlier, Afghan media, citing their own sources, reported the death of four of Mansour’s close associates in the Quetta.

Meanwhile, the Taliban has provided controversial information on its leader. The death of Mansour was rebuked on social media by Taliban spokesperson Zabihollah Mojahed. He also doubted that the gunfire in Quetta really took place.

At the same time, some Afghan media, citing sources close to the Taliban command, reported that the gunfire took place, and Mansour was severely injured and hospitalized.

Mansour became the leader of the Afghan Taliban, an Islamist movement, in summer 2015, after an announcement by Mullah Omar, the founder of the Afghan Taliban. Earlier, Afghan and Pakistani media reported that he was appointed by a vote of commanders of the largest Afghan and Pakistani Taliban groups. However, Taliban members could not reach agree on Mansour’s candidacy.

Mullah Mansour, 55, was born in the Afghani province of Kandahar. While the Taliban was in power in Afghanistan Mansour served as aviation minister.

In 2001, Mullah Mansour was proclaimed hereditary leader of the Taliban in Kandahar.