Manan’s death will have ‘direct’ impact on security of many provinces: MoI

The Interior Affairs Ministry says the death of Mulla Abdul Manan who was the Taliban’s shadow governor for southern Helmand province and a key member of the armed group will have a direct impact on the security of many provinces.

Mulla Rahim was also known as Mulla Manan was killed on Saturday night in a U.S. airstrike in Nawzad district of Helmand province. The Taliban confirmed the death of Manan – who had also been the militant group’s military in-charge – and termed it as a great loss.

Manan was leading the war for the Taliban in Helmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan and Zabul provinces.

“The death of Manan will have a direct impact on the security of these provinces,” the Interior Ministry Spokesman Najib Danish said. “We are hoping to strike more targets with such kind of plans and operations.”

More and more

Kandahar police chief Gen. Raziq killed in armed attack

The provincial police chief, Gen. Abdul Raziq and the province’s intelligence chief Abdul Mohmin were killed on Thursday when a bodyguard opened fire following a meeting in the governor’s compound in the southern province of Kandahar, officials said.

According to the security officials, the governor of Kandahar, Gen. Zalmay Wesa and three Americans; a service member and two civilians’ workers were wounded in the shooting.

It was members of Wesa’s elite guard unit who turned their guns on their colleagues.

In a telephone interview, the spokesman for the Taliban in Afghanistan’s southern region, Qari Yousuf Ahmadi, said the Taliban carried out the attack.

He said Washington’s top general in Afghanistan, Gen. Scott Miller was the target and said Raziq, the governor and the intelligence chief were killed.

Officials said Razeq, Miller and the other officials were walking toward a landing zone as the helicopter taking the U.S. general’s party back to Kabul approached to land when the gunman, who was waiting outside, opened fire on the group.

More and more

Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Mansoor Likely Killed in Pakistan

The Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor has likely been killed in American drone strike in Pakistan, it has been reported.

The airstrike was carried out along the Durand Line in a remote area of Pakistan, southwest of the town of Ahmad Wal.

Mansoor was reportedly travelling a vehicle which was targeted by multiple drones, a senior US defense official has said.

The US Department of Defense confirmed Saturday “Today, the Department of Defense conducted an airstrike that targeted Taliban leader Mullah Mansur in a remote area of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region. Mansur has been the leader of the Taliban and actively involved with planning attacks against facilities in Kabul and across Afghanistan, presenting a threat to Afghan civilians and security forces, our personnel, and coalition partners.”

More and more