The US Just Tried to Kill the Leader of the Taliban With an Airstrike

The US military targeted Mullah Akhtar Mansour, the leader of the Taliban in Afghanistan, with an airstrike on Saturday, the Pentagon said in a statement, but it's unclear whether Mansour was killed.

"We are still assessing the results of the strike and will provide more information as it becomes available," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said.

Cook said the strike occurred in a remote area of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.

Mansour was named leader of the Taliban last August after the Afghan government announced the death of the group's previous commander, Mullah Omar. Omar's death was kept secret by the Taliban for up to two years, and the succession process was turbulent. The Taliban released a video that showed members pledging allegiance to Mansour, but there was also evidence of an internal schism. Some members of Mullah Omar's family, including his son Mohammad Yacoub, have vied for leadership of the group.......................

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