Dead Taliban Leader Hindered Reconciliation Process in Afghanistan

The late Taliban leader, Mullah Akhtar Mansour, killed in a remote area in Pakistan during a US bombing raid, obstructed the peace talks between the movement and the Afghan government, holding back the reconciliation process, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday in a statement.

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, US President Barack Obama confirmed Mansour's death in a US drone strike carried out several days ago.

"Mullah Mansour stood in the way of talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, blocking the prospects for progress towards peace and reconciliation for Afghanistan," the statement on the NATO website reads.

Stoltenberg added that the Taliban leader oversaw the group's brutal attacks across Afghanistan, which resulted in the death and suffering of thousands of Afghan civilians and security forces. The Taliban leader was also a major threat to the United States and other NATO allies and partners.

According to Stoltenberg, NATO and its allies support the process of reconciliation in Afghanistan and appreciate all the peacekeeping efforts being taken.

On Sunday, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif slammed the US drone strike, describing it as a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty.

Afghanistan is struggling with a political, economical and social crisis as it attempts to tackle the Taliban's insurgency. The situation in the country has worsened in recent months, with the Taliban launching offensives in major cities.