The Afghan government buried the body of the killed top Taliban commander Mullah Dadullah on Monday in the southern Kandahar province, provincial governor Asadullah Khalid said.

The Taliban leadership had been calling the government to hand over the body to Dadullah's family.

Khalid told reporters that the government had intended to deliver Dadullah's body to his family, but his family did not contact the government at all, so the government buried the body.

Afghan officials said on Sunday that Dadullah was killed on Saturday in the southern Helmand province and his body was carried to neighboring Kandahar province, the birthplace of the Taliban movement.

The Taliban confirmed Dadullah's death on Monday and said his successor would be appointed soon.

Dadullah was a member of the Taliban's 10-man leadership council before the US-led invasion in 2001, and was also a close aide to Mullah Omar, the top Taliban leader.

The one-legged Dadullah was believed to be behind a series of kidnappings of foreigners and Afghans recently and have ordered to behead several innocent civilians.  

(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2007)