Taliban’s supreme leader Mullah Omar has been killed, an Afghan government official said Wednesday.
The death of Mullah Omar was confirmed during a security meeting, the official told 1TV on condition of anonymity.
The news comes as Afghan officials and Taliban representatives are expected to meet for second round of peace talks on Friday.
Mullah Omar has not been seen in public since U.S. forces ousted his government in 2001.
A Taliban splinter group Mahaz Fidayee recently said that Omar had been killed in an insider attack two years ago.
However, on occasion of Eid, Taliban posted a message in name of Mullah Omar where he endorsed peace talks as legitimate. In April, Taliban released biography of him saying their chief was alive and well.
The US has announced a $10m bounty on Omar’s head.
