BBC: Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour killed, Afghans confirm

Afghanistan's spy agency has confirmed that Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour has been killed, after the U.S. targeted him in a drone strike, according to the BBC.

The drone targeted his vehicle in a remote area of south-west Pakistan, near the Afghan border, on Saturday, the BBC wrote.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Mansour had posed "a continuing, imminent threat to U.S. personnel."

Mansour assumed the leadership in July 2015, replacing Taliban founder and spiritual head Mullah Mohammad Omar.

The Afghan National Security Directorate (NDS) said on Sunday that Mansour had been killed in the Dalbandi area of Balochistan province – the first official confirmation of the killing of the Taliban leader.

The Pentagon announced on Saturday that an operation had taken place near the town of Ahmad Wal at around 15:00 (10:00 GMT) and had been authorised by President Barack Obama.

It said the strike had "probably" killed Mansour and an armed male combatant travelling with him.

There have been conflicting reports from the Taliban..................

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