Taliban Confirms Leader's Death, Names Replacement

Afghanistan’s Taliban insurgency confirmed the death of its leader and named his successor through the group’s spokesman on Wednesday.

US and Afghan officials said Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed mid-Saturday in a drone strike on a vehicle he was occupying en route to the Pakistani city of Quetta, Balochistan province. Mansour was picked to replace Taliban's previous leader in mid-2015.

Zabiullah Mujahid, one of two Taliban’s spokesmen, issued a Pashto-language statement via Twitter in which he said "May Allah have mercy" on Mansour.

The accompanying statement named Haibatullah Akhundzada as Taliban's new leader, and Sirajudddin Haqqani and Mullah Yaqoob as two of his deputies.