Akhtar Mansur

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Akhtar Mansur

Role / Field:

Second Supreme Leader of the Taliban, assassinated in a 2016 US drone strike.

Born:

1968

Died:

2016-05-21

Century / Era:

1968s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

Akhtar Mohammad Mansur (c. 1959 – 21 May 2016) was an Afghan militant who served as the second supreme leader of the Taliban from 2015 until his assassination in a US drone strike in Balochistan, Pakistan in 2016. He was a close aide and successor of the Taliban's founding leader, Mullah Omar. United States president Barack Obama stated that Mansur was killed because he was planning attacks on US targets in Kabul. Obama hoped Mansur's death would lead to the Taliban joining a peace process. Mansur was born in c. 1959.

Career & Major Achievements

According to the Taliban, he is thought to have been born either in a village named Kariz or another village named Band-i-Taimoor, both of which are situated within the Maiwand District of Kandahar Province in southern Afghanistan. The biography released on a Taliban website showed his date of birth as 1347 in the solar Hijri calendar, which corresponds to 1968. This year is corroborated by S. Mehsud, of the C.T.C. West Point. According to Ahmed Rashid, Mansur belonged to the Alizai tribe, but other sources claim that he was of the Ishaqzai tribe, in any case, both the Alizai and the Ishaqzai are of the Durrani line of Pashtuns. According to the Taliban, Mansoor was educated at a village mosque and joined primary school at about the age of seven.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Mansur is alleged to have owned a cell-phone company, among other investments, and is claimed to have been wealthy as a result of his profiting from the dealings of Ishaqzai drug dealers. According to Richard Spencer of The Daily Telegraph, Mansur performed his business operations via a residence located in Dubai. An undamaged Pakistani passport in the name of "Wali Muhammad" was recovered near the burned-out car at the scene of the drone attack that killed him; the passport is believed to have belonged to Mansur. Sometime in 1985, he joined the jihadi war against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, participating in the Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi group. During the same time Mohammad Omar was a commander of an organization within Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1347: 1347 Milestone — The biography released on a Taliban website showed his date of birth as 1347 in the solar Hijri calendar, which corresponds to 1968.
2. 1959: 1959 Milestone — 1959 – 21 May 2016) was an Afghan militant who served as the second supreme leader of the Taliban from 2015 until his assassination in a US drone strike in Balochistan, Pakistan in 2016.
3. 1968: Birth of Akhtar Mansur — Second Supreme Leader of the Taliban, assassinated in a 2016 US drone strike.
4. 1985: 1985 Milestone — Sometime in 1985, he joined the jihadi war against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, participating in the Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi group.
5. 2016 (2016-05-21): Passing & Historical Legacy — Akhtar Mansur passed away on 2016-05-21, leaving an enduring historical legacy.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Akhtar Mansur

True or False: “Akhtar Mansur was killed by a US drone strike while allegedly planning attacks on US targets in Kabul.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): President Barack Obama stated that Mansur was killed because he was planning attacks on US targets in Kabul.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Akhtar Mansur