Meanwhile, the U.S. military announced a sudden visit to the Mideast by long-range, nuclear-capable B-52H bombers, underlining America's continuing presence in the region.
Omar reportedly lived for more than a decade in a shack near a well-patrolled route, where he would often hear coalition troops being ambush by insurgents, warplanes flying overhead, and U.S. forces on patrol.
U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met with one of the founders of the Taliban for the first time on Monday ahead of the latest round of talks with the insurgents aimed at ending the 17-year war in Afghanistan.