Drone Strike Kills Taliban Leader Mullah Mansoor

Both the Afghan government and members of the insurgent movementconfirmed the death of Mullah Mansoor, leader of the Afghan Taliban. Although the US Department of Defense originally stated that they targeted Mansoor while traveling near Ahmad Wal, reports now confirm that the US drone strike killed him in the southern Pakistani province of Balochistan, an area that was supposed to be off limits for drone attacks. 

With the US stepping out of their agreed-upon drone zone, this is expected to put a strain on their already stormy relationship with Pakistan. Mansoor’s death comes just days after diplomats from the US, Pakistan, Afghanistan and China met in Islamabad to discuss efforts to draw the Taliban into peace negotiations.