- Title: Afghan Taliban leader likely killed in U.S. drone strike
- Date: 22nd May 2016
- Summary: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (MAY 22, 2016) (REUTERS) PEOPLE WALKING DOWN THE STREET OF KABUL WOMEN IN BURQA WALKING ON THE STREET MORE OF KABUL STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) MOHAMMAD HUSSAIN, RESIDENT OF KABUL, SAYING: "It's happy news because they carry out suicide attacks and kill our innocent people and children. I believe that the Taliban leaders who are killed, the more stability will be brought to Afghanistan." PEOPLE ON THE STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) GADAAH MOHAMMAD, RESIDENT OF KABUL, SAYING: "If this news is accurate then there is no doubt this will have a positive impact on the morale of our Afghan security forces and it will demoralize the Taliban." MORE OF PEOPLE WALKING DOWN ON THE STREET OF KABUL
- Embargoed: 6th June 2016 08:34
- Keywords: Afghanistan Taliban Abdullah Abdullah Pakistan Mullah Akhtar Mansour
- Location: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
- City: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
- Country: Afghanistan
- Topics: Military Conflicts
- Reuters ID: LVA0024IW2JPJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A top Afghan government official said on Sunday (May 22)it was likely that Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a U.S. air strike.
"Following the anti-terror operations, the U.S forces conducted drone attacks and they have targeted the vehicle of Akhtar Mohammad Mansour outside the border of Afghanistan. There is more possibility that Akhtar Mohammad Mansour was killed as a result of the attack," said Afghan Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah.
"After Mullah Omar's death he was in charge of all terrorist attacks in Afghanistan and he had direct contact with other terrorist networks. If this news is a 100 percent confirmed it will bring a big change in the Taliban condition. His death is a blow to their abilities in carrying out terrorist attacks against the Afghan people," he added.
U.S. officials in Washington said on Saturday (May 21) U.S. missile-firing drones had attacked Mansour and probably killed him in a strike in southwest Pakistan, near the Afghan border, authorised by U.S. President Barack Obama.
On the streets of Kabul people expressed happiness and said killing the Taliban leader could demoralize the insurgency in the country.
"It's a happy news because they carryout suicide attacks and kill our innocent people and children. I believe that the more killing of the Taliban leaders will bring stability in Afghanistan," said Mohammad Hussain a resident of Kabul.
"If this news is accurate then there is no doubt this will have positive impact on the moral of our Afghan security forces and it will demoralize the Taliban," said Gadaah Mohammad resident of Kabul. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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