Mullah Mansour was killed in US drone strike, DNA test confirms

DNA samples tested against relative who came forward to claim the body, says interior ministry

ISLAMABAD: Days after Pakistan officially confirmed the death of the Afghan Taliban chief, a DNA report said it was definite that a man killed in the US drone strike on May 21 was Mullah Akhtar Mansour, the Ministry of Interior announced on Sunday.

According to a statement, DNA samples of the charred body found from a remote area near Noshki district of Balochistan, were tested against the relative who came forward to claim the remains.

The other person killed in the drone attack was taxi driver Muhammad Azam.



Mansour was killed in a rare US drone strike deep inside Pakistan in Kuchaki area of Naushki district, over 200 kilometres away from Quetta, Balochistan.

“All indicators confirm that the person killed in the drone strike was Mullah Akhtar Mansour who was travelling on a fake identity. The DNA test result will be available shortly,” Sartaj Aziz had said on Thursday.

Contrary to media reports that Mansour was buried in Spin Boldak, the adviser said his body was still in Pakistan’s custody and would be handed over to his family once the DNA test results were submitted.



The confirmation came just a day after the Taliban also announced that their chief was dead.

Earlier, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar had said the government could not confirm the death without a scientific and legal basis.