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Iran denies Mullah Mansour crossed Iran’s border to enter Pakistan

Pakistani officials say the Taliban leader had just returned from Iran when his vehicle was attacked in Balochistan

Afp May 23, 2016

newly appointed spokesman of iran 039 s foreign ministry hossein jaberi ansari speaks during a weekly press conference on december 14 2015 in the capital tehran afp photo

Newly-appointed spokesman of Iran's Foreign Ministry, Hossein Jaberi Ansari speaks during a weekly press conference on December 14, 2015 in the capital Tehran. AFP PHOTO

TEHRAN: Iran on Monday denied reports that Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour entered Pakistan from the Islamic republic before being killed in a US drone strike, state media reported.

Pakistani security officials told AFP on Sunday that the man killed on Saturday in Balochistan, believed at the time to be Mansour, had just returned from Iran when his vehicle was attacked.

Man believed to be Taliban leader had returned from Iran

US President Barack Obama on Monday confirmed that Mansour had been killed in a US air strike, hailing his death as an "important milestone" in efforts to bring peace to Afghanistan.

Senior Taliban sources have also confirmed the killing to AFP, adding that a shura (council) was under way to select a new leader.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari was quoted by the official IRNA news agency on Monday as denying Mansour had been in the country before the attack.

"The competent authorities of the Islamic republic deny that this person on this date crossed Iran's border and into Pakistan," he said.

"Iran welcomes any positive action leading to peace and stability in Afghanistan," he added, without elaborating.

Pakistan seeks 'clarification' of US strike on Afghan Taliban leader

Pakistani identity documents found on the body of the man now known to be Mansour named him as Muhammad Wali, and showed he had left for Iran on March 28 and returned the day he was killed.

Iran supports the Afghan government in its fight against the Taliban group.

President Ashraf Ghani meanwhile arrived in Tehran on Monday for the signing of a tripartite agreement between Iran, India and Afghanistan to turn Iran's southeastern port of Chabahar into a transit hub between the three countries, bypassing Pakistan.

US didn’t notify Pakistan until after deadly strike

Islamabad, which says it hosts many of the Afghan Taliban's top leadership to exert influence over them and bring them back to peace talks with Kabul, called the US drone attack a violation of its sovereignty.

COMMENTS (20)

Barry | 8 years ago | Reply The poison ekes out of the mud Mullah Mansoor had a Pakistani Passport He does not need to come through Iran He had a Saudi Arabian visa the Pakistani government/Aziz is lying about the presence of Afghanistani Taliban in Paklistan

Alter Ego | 8 years ago | Reply and here i thought you would say something different .

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Jibran | 8 years ago | Reply To Iran, he was Muhammad Wali. The question for Pakistan to answer is, how Mulla Mansoor transformed into Muhammad Wali, and how he obtained the Pakistani passport.

MMA | 8 years ago | Reply There is solid proof that Wali Mohd ( Mullah Mansoor) started his journey in Iran. As per reports , the vehicle he was travelling in was hit a little while after it left the Chak Post. Was it in Iran that Mullah Mansoor was being followed or was the US tipped by some one from Iran about him??

salman | 8 years ago | Reply Nevermind. Iran also denies their involvement in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Pakistani | 8 years ago | Reply So US has been successful in creating a fight between Pak and Iran

Brainy Bhaijan | 8 years ago | Reply Something tells me this Chabahar port would be well operational way before Gwader. Pakistan is a mess from within. Its GHQ is not at all serious about making it a trading state. They want to keep it a warrior/national-security paranoid state.

SYED | 8 years ago | Reply @Prada Tell us about the conspiracies in your country and the severe mean relations between states ?

Sad but True | 8 years ago | Reply @ghazal: Inshallah, Chabahar will compete with Gwadar well.

Abbas | 8 years ago | Reply Mullah Akhtar masoor case is as same as India agent

AF | 8 years ago | Reply Chabahar will damage pakistan say 2 to 4 %. Because only trad between india and afghanistan will be done directly through iran. CPEC is the trade of China through Pakistan, which will completely benifit Pakistan. It is different.

ghazal | 8 years ago | Reply @hassan: 100% in agreement Chabahar is no match to gwadar, its has only economic value no strategic importance .

AF | 8 years ago | Reply Very strage, how passport comes out in one piece, safe and sound from a burning car? Or person from the car threw it so usa or world mmust know his visa status or to put in some museum.

Prada | 8 years ago | Reply @hassan: "Tripartite agreement between Iran, India and Afghanistan to turn Iran’s southeastern port of Chabahar into a transit hub will not benefit India in any manner." Thanks for the tip buddy. India would like to assure you that Chabahar will be up and running long before Gwadar.

Prada | 8 years ago | Reply @Mahakaalchakra: Good point. Then again, everything has a conspiracy angle in Pakistan.

vinsin | 8 years ago | Reply The man also had VISA stamp of Saudi Arabia.

Mahakaalchakra | 8 years ago | Reply The man was charred beyond recognition in the burning car bur "deep" sources of Pakistan claimed his passport was intact and recovered with stamps of Iran!

Blackwater | 8 years ago | Reply Even Iran has washed off its hands.. so it means that on Taliban issue U.S., Afghanistan, Iran, India & other world countries are standing on one side and pak is on the other, alone, as it is considered to be the culprit which is providing the safe heavens to the Talibans.

Sonya | 8 years ago | Reply There seems to be a segment in Pakistan's security apparatus which is interested to drag Iran in everything that can push the relations between the two countries towards its desired outcome. While the bodies of the killed are unrecognizable, the car is turned into a file ball, yet the the fire proof Passport has come out unharmed. the question arises who issued undercover Pakistani passport to this Mulla Mansur.

hassan | 8 years ago | Reply Tripartite agreement between Iran, India and Afghanistan to turn Iran’s southeastern port of Chabahar into a transit hub will not benefit India in any manner.

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