Taliban minister killed in U.S. attacks, alliance envoy says
.c Kyodo News Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 (Kyodo) - Taliban Civil Aviation Minister Akhtal Mansoor was killed in U.S.-led air strikes on Afghanistan, the representative in the United States of Afghanistan's anti-Taliban Northern Alliance said Monday.

Mansoor, who concurrently served as a Taliban army leader, was killed with his followers in bombardments of the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e-Sharif, Daoud Mir told Kyodo News.

The U.S. and Britain launched bombing and missile attacks Sunday against Taliban military targets and alleged terrorist training camps to retaliate for the Sept. 11 suicide attacks on New York and Washington. Air strikes continued Monday.

Mir did not say whether Mansoor was killed Sunday or Monday.

The alliance fighting the Taliban controls a sliver of Afghanistan.