Pakistan says US drone strike that killed Taliban leader violated its sovereignty

Reuters in Kabul
Sunday 22 May 2016 20.31 BST

Pakistan on Sunday accused the United States of violating its sovereignty with a drone strike against the leader of the Afghan Taliban in a remote border area just inside Pakistan.

The president of Afghanistan said the attack killed Mullah Akhtar Mansoor, but a Pakistani passport found at the site bears the name Wali Muhammad and the passport holder was believed to have travelled to Pakistan from Iran on the day of the attack, according to the Pakistani foreign ministry.

Mansoor’s death could trigger a succession battle and deepen fractures that emerged in the insurgent movement after the death of its founder, Mullah Mohammad Omar, was confirmed in 2015, more than two years after it occurred.

The Saturday drone strike, which US officials said was authorised by Barack Obama and included multiple drones, showed the United States was prepared to go after the Taliban leadership in Pakistan, which the government in Kabul has repeatedly accused of sheltering the insurgents.

But Pakistan protested on Sunday, saying the US government had not informed Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister, beforehand.

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