Mullah Omar, leader of the Taliban, has apparently been dead for at least two years

Mullah Mohammad Omar, the spiritual leader of the Taliban, is dead, according to Afghan officials. The militant group has not commented on the announcement.

Afghan officials say that the Pakistani government reported his death to Kabul two years ago. Authorities did not explain the manner of his death or why it has taken so long to confirm it.

For years, the Taliban has rejected previous claims that Mullah Omar, who has not been seen in public since 2001, had died. Since then the group has released statements and messages from the leader but never audio or video recordings. The US state department had issued a $10 million bounty for him.

Mullah Omar is known for leading the Taliban to victory over militia groups in a civil war that resulted in the Soviet Union withdrawing from the country. His alliance with Osama bin Laden prompted the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.