Afghan intelligence agency confirms Taliban leaders' death

QUETTA, May 22, 2016 (Xinhua) -- People transfer a dead body to a civil hospital in southwest Pakistan's Quetta, May 22, 2016. Bodies of two people who are suspected to be killed in a Saturday U.S. drone strike in Pakistan have been shifted to a hospital in Quetta for DNA test. Afghan Taliban top leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor was reportedly killed by a U.S. drone strike launched at a small town in Pakistan's southwest province of Balochistan along the Pak-Afghan border, reported local Urdu TV channel ARY on Sunday. (Xinhua/Asad)

KABUL, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan spy agency on Sunday confirmed the death of Taliban supreme leader Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor.

"Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor, leader of Taliban outfit, was killed following an airstrike yesterday at 3:45 p.m. local time in Dalbandine, Baluchistan, Pakistan," National Directorate of Security (NDS) said in a brief statement.

Afghan government Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah also confirmed the death of Mansoor.

The physical elimination of Mullah Akhtar Mansoor would be a major blow to the Taliban in conducting terrorist activities inside Afghanistan, Abdullah said.

The NDS also called on Taliban fighters to renounce violence and join the government-initiated peace and national reconciliation process.

Mullah Mansoor became the leader of Taliban on July 30, 2015, one day after the news about the death of former Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar was disclosed.

Taliban militants are yet to comment on Mansoor's fate.