WASHINGTON - The White House Friday confirmed the death of Taliban leader Mullah Omar, saying it represented a chance of progress on the path to a stable and secure Afghanistan.

“The US Intelligence Community assesses that Mullah Mohammed Omar, the former leader of the Afghan Taliban, is dead,” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said in a late-night statement.

“While the exact circumstances of his death remain uncertain, it is clear that his demise, after decades of war and thousands of lives lost, represents a chance for yet more progress on the path to a stable, secure Afghanistan,” he said.

He said in last year’s Afghan election, President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Abdullah Abdullah honoured the efforts of millions of Afghan voters by ensuring the first peaceful and democratic transfer of power in the nation’s history.

President Obama ended the US combat mission in Afghanistan, bringing the longest war in American history to a responsible conclusion, the official noted

“But Afghanistan remains a dangerous place, and the Afghan people still suffer from a brutal insurgency that continues to take innocent lives and hinder Afghanistan’s prospects for peace,” Earnest said.

At this time of transition, the Taliban could choose to continue to fight their own people and destabilise their own country, or they could choose peace, Earnest said. “We encourage the Taliban to heed President Ghani’s call for reconciliation and make genuine peace with the Afghan government.” (Pajhwok)