Khalil Haqqani, Afghanistan’s Minister of Refugees and Repatriates Affairs and a senior Taliban leader, was killed in a suicide bombing at his ministry office in Kabul.
The attack, which took place as Haqqani was leaving his office, also claimed the lives of six others, according to sources in the Interior Ministry.
The Islamic State group (IS) has claimed responsibility for the bombing. An IS statement via its “Amaq” news agency reported that the attacker waited outside the minister’s office before detonating explosives as Haqqani exited.
Khalil Haqqani was a prominent figure in the Haqqani network, a powerful faction within the Taliban. He was designated a global terrorist by the United States, which had previously offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
Haqqani’s death marks the most high-profile casualty among the Taliban leadership since the group regained control of Afghanistan in 2021 following the withdrawal of foreign troops.
The Haqqani network, founded by Khalil Haqqani’s brother, Jalaluddin, has been linked to numerous attacks during the Taliban’s insurgency.
Sirajuddin Haqqani, Jalaluddin’s son and Khalil’s nephew, currently serves as Afghanistan’s Interior Minister.
While the Taliban have brought relative stability since their return to power, Afghanistan continues to struggle with security threats.
The Islamic State Khorasan Province, ISKP, the regional affiliate of IS and a key rival of the Taliban, has orchestrated numerous bombings and suicide attacks across the country in recent years.
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