ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the body of Taliban chief Mullah Akhtar Mansour, who was killed in a US drone strike in Balochistan earlier this month, had been handed over to his heirs in Afghanistan after completion of DNA tests.

In a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon, Nisar said the body of Mansour was "handed over to heirs in Afghanistan after fulfilling all legal requirements".

The interior minister said “the government has arrested the suspects who facilitated Mullah Mansour in acquiring a Pakistani NIC. These include an assistant commissioner, a Risaldar-major and several FIA and Nadra officials”.

Nisar further said that a FIA official had assisted Mullah Mansour’s wife in acquiring the NIC.

Earlier on Sunday, a spokesman of the Ministry of Interior had said that it had been confirmed through DNA test that the second person killed in the US drone attack in Balochistan was former chief of Afghan Taliban, Mullah Mansour.

“It is confirmed that Mullah Mansour was killed in the US drone strike in Noshki area of Balochistan,” interior ministry’s spokesperson had said.

He said the confirmation was made after conducting a DNA test of Mullah Mansour’s body and matching it with the DNA of a close relative of Mullah Mansour — who had come to claim the body.

“DNA of Mansour matched with one of his relative who came to receive his body from Afghanistan.”

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz had also confirmed the death of Afghan Taliban chief in Balochistan.

The drone strike was also the first in the restive province of Balochistan, considered a red-line by the Pakistani government. Authorisation for the strike came directly from US President Barack Obama.