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Pakistan confirms drone strike

by IBNS 22 May 2016, 08:19 pm

Islamabad, May 23 (IBNS) The Pakistan government has confirmed that the United States shared information that a drone strike was carried out in Pakistan near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area, in which reportedly the Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhter Mansoor was targeted.

"This information was shared with the Prime Minister and the Chief of Army Staff after the drone strike," Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

"According to the information gathered so far, a person named Wali Muhammad S/o Shah Muhammad carrying a Pakistani passport and an I.D. Card, resident of Qilla Abdullah, entered Pakistan from Taftan border on 21st May. His passport was bearing a valid Iranian visa. He was traveling on a vehicle hired from a transport company in Taftan. This vehicle was found destroyed at Kochaki along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The driver's name was Muhammad Azam whose body has been identified and collected by his relatives. The identity of the second body is being verified on the basis of evidence found at the site of the incident and other relevant information.," it said.

Pakistan said the drone attack was a violation of its sovereignty.

"While further investigations are being carried out, Pakistan wishes to once again state that the drone attack was a violation of its sovereignty, an issue which has been raised with the United States in the past as well," it said.

 The US on Sunday confirmed that Taliban leader Mullah Mansur has been killed during an airstrike  in a remote area of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.

"Mansur 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," Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook  said in a statement.

"Mansur has been an obstacle to peace and reconciliation between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban, prohibiting Taliban leaders from participating in peace talks with the Afghan government that could lead to an end to the conflict," he said.

"Since the death of Mullah Omar and Mansur's assumption of leadership, the Taliban have conducted many attacks that have resulted in the death of tens of thousands of Afghan civilians and Afghan security forces as well as numerous U.S. and coalition personnel. We are still assessing the results of the strike and will provide more information as it becomes available," read the statement.

Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah also confirmed the death of the Taliban leader.

"#Taliban leader #AkhtarMansoor was killed in a drone strike in Quetta, #Pakistan at 04:30 pm yesterday. His car was attacked in Dahl Bandin," he tweeted.