Summary He got into a while corolla and moved through Pakistan, writes The Wall Street Journal
LAHORE (Web Desk) – Alleged killed leader of Afghan Taliban, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor’s family resides in Iran which explains his visits to the country, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
The media outlet claimed that Mullah had entered Pakistan from Iran after visiting his family.
Intercepted communication and intelligence sharing helped the spy agencies and United States (US) military to zero in on the target near Balochistan’s Quetta in Nushki area.
He got into a while corolla and moved through Pakistan.
US military took over the operation from intelligence operators and waited for the right time to send armed drone from across the border, base in Afghanistan in Balochistan which has been off limits to US unmanned aircrafts until then.
Timing had to be impeccable, the Wall Street Journal writes as attacking the vehicle in Quetta could have claimed civilians’ lives.
United States did not warn the government before carrying out the strike. Secretary of State, John Kerry said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was informed beforehand however, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson cleared that the premier was told after the strike.
Department of State, in a briefing later on stated that United States would carry on with attacks in sovereign Pakistan if need be.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif termed the attack a violation of country’s sovereignty while Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, in a press conference on Tuesday said that drone attack on Mullah Akhtar Mansoor was an attempt to sabotage reconciliation efforts.
He warned that the strike would have serious implications for relations with the United States and the drone strike was against United Nations (UN) Charter and international law.
According to the newspaper, Pakistani government grew frustrated in February by Mansoor’s consistent refusal to send representatives for talks with Afghanistan government. The journal claims that by that time, reports had begun to surface that Mansoor had moved to Iran.
Mansoor was hoped by the Barack Obama administration to take the talks seriously unlike his predecessor, Mullah Omar.
The report has come against the backdrop of Afghan Taliban chief’s alleged killing in a first ever US drone strike in Balochistan province on Sunday.
Obama confirmed the death on Monday whereas Nawaz Sharif’s government is waiting on DNA report and scrutiny of the evidence collected from the attack site in Nushki.
For the government, the complexity of the situation furthered into dark after forces seized an identity card from the targeted vehicle that stated victim’s name Muhammad Wali and address, one in Karachi and other near Chaman.
An alleged Tehrik-i-Taliban (TP) terrorist was arrested from the Karachi address, Bismillah Terrace.
The alleged extremist named Jabbar had sold the flat to Wali in 2002 but his family did left the place within days and a tenant as given the residence.
On the other hand, Afghan media has claimed today that Taliban have confirmed the death and named Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada the new leader.
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