Afghan intelligence: Taliban leader Mullah Omar dead

Afghanistan’s main intelligence agency says the reclusive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has been dead for more than two years.

Abdul Hassib Seddiqi, the spokesman for Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, said Wednesday that Mullah Omar died in a hospital in the Pakistani city of Karachi in April 2013.

“We confirm officially that he is dead,” he told The Associated Press.

The confirmation comes two days before the Afghan government and the Taliban are to hold their second round of official peace talks in Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the White House said on Wednesday it was aware of reports of the death of Taliban leader Mullah Omar and believes the reports are “credible.”

White House spokesman Eric Schultz said the U.S. intelligence community continued to look into the reports. Afghanistan said on Wednesday the elusive leader of the Taliban movement died more than two years ago.