DNA test proves Mansour's death in US drone attack: Pak

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Press Trust of India Islamabad
Last Updated : May 29 2016 | 10:28 PM IST
A DNA test has confirmed the death of Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Mansour in a US drone strike in the restive Baluchistan province on May 21, Pakistan today said.
A DNA sample from one of the two men killed in the US drone attack was successfully matched with a close relative of Mansour, the Interior Ministry said.
"The second man killed in the drone attack has been identified. It has been confirmed that the man killed in the attack was former Taliban chief Mullah Mansour. The exact identity was known through the DNA test which matched with a relative of Mansour who had come from Afghanistan to take the dead body," the ministry said in a statement.
Mansour and Muhammad Azam, a Pakistani driver, were killed on May 21 when US special forces targeted their vehicle in a drone strike in Noshki district of Baluchistan while they were allegedly returning from Iran by road.
The US had announced soon after the attack that it had successfully targeted Mansour, but Pakistan had said that DNA test would be performed to identify the victims.
The Interior Ministry said that the tests proved that Mansour was killed in the drone attack.
Pakistan Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz had said on Thursday that all indicators confirm that the person killed in the drone strike was Mansour.
But he had also said that final announcement will made after DNA tests.
Pakistan government has described the US drone strike as a violation of its sovereignty.
Meanwhile, the family of Azam today registered a police case against the US government, demanding justice.
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First Published: May 29 2016 | 10:28 PM IST

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