Obama confirms Taliban leader’s death in US strike

Barack Obama today confirmed that Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US strike, hailing his death as an “important milestone” in efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan.

“We have removed the leader of an organisation that has continued to plot against and unleash attacks on American and Coalition forces, to wage war against the Afghan people, and align itself with extremist groups like al Qa’ida,” the US President said in a statement, referring to Saturday’s strike which took place on Pakistani soil.