Multiple Drone Strikes Killed Afghani Taliban Leader Mulla Mansour

Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour was targeted and “likely killed” Saturday in a US drone strike in a remote area of Pakistan along the Afghan border, a US official said.

“Mansour was the target and was likely killed,” in the strikes, which occurred around 6:00 am (1000 GMT) and were carried out by multiple unmanned aircraft operated by US Special Operations Forces, an Unnamed US official was quoted as saying by Times of Israel Sunday.

The airstrike, authorized by President Barack Obama, also killed a second adult male combatant as the two traveled in a vehicle southwest of the town of Ahmad Wal, but no civilians were killed, the official said.

Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement that Mansour “has been the leader of the Taliban and actively involved with planning attacks against facilities in Kabul and across Afghanistan, presenting a threat to Afghan civilians and security forces, our personnel, and Coalition partners.”