| Saifur Rahman Mansour, the Taliban commander at the first battle of Tora Bora in 2002, was killed in the Taliban-controlled tribal agency |
"Mansour was a big time Taliban commander in 2001-2002 and led the battle at Tora Bora," said Matt Dupee, a contributor to The Long War Journal and Afgha.com. "He was allegedly paid not to interfere with the voting process in 2004 (his base is in the east, Paktia (Zurmat district)) and ceased his activities in 2005. The Taliban subsequently removed him from the Rahbari Shura following rumors of his split. In 2006 he restarted his militant activities and became a part of the Peshawar Shura (really based out of Waziristan) once again and launched an offensive in the eastern areas alongside the Haqqani network. His main skill was commanding men on the battlefield and his in-depth knowledge of military tactics and guerilla warfare."Mansour's father was governor of Paktia province before being murdered by a rival warlord. He commanded Taliban troops against the Northern Alliance during the Taliban rule of Afghanistan. He "was wounded three times in three wars — against the Soviets in the 1980s, in the fighting among warlords of the early 1990s, and on behalf of the Taliban — and has a maimed hand as a result," the Los Angeles Times reported in 2002.
It is unclear when Mansour was killed. There were a series of battles in South Waziristan over the past week. A Pakistani security source told Daily Times the military killed over 50 Taliban fighters during a major assault on the Ladha Fort in South Waziristan during Wednesday and Thursday. Upwards of 300 Taliban fighters are believed to have attacked the base. The Pakistani military did not confirm the casualties, but said the Taliban suffered "heavy casualties in the encounter."