BRUSSELS (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, US President Barack Obama confirmed Mansour's death in a US drone strike carried out several days ago.
"Mullah Mansour stood in the way of talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, blocking the prospects for progress towards peace and reconciliation for Afghanistan," the statement on the NATO website reads.
Stoltenberg added that the Taliban leader oversaw the group's brutal attacks across Afghanistan, which resulted in the death and suffering of thousands of Afghan civilians and security forces. The Taliban leader was also a major threat to the United States and other NATO allies and partners.
On Sunday, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif slammed the US drone strike, describing it as a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty.
Afghanistan is struggling with a political, economical and social crisis as it attempts to tackle the Taliban's insurgency. The situation in the country has worsened in recent months, with the Taliban launching offensives in major cities.
