The Afghan Minister for Refugees, Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani, was killed in a suicide bombing at the ministry’s offices in Kabul on Wednesday, according to a government source speaking to AFP.
The source, who requested anonymity, confirmed the explosion was a suicide attack and stated, “Unfortunately, an explosion occurred at the Ministry of Refugees, and Minister Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani was martyred along with several colleagues.”
Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani, known for being on the US sanctions list and frequently seen carrying an automatic weapon, was the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, the founder of the Haqqani network, which is linked to some of the most violent attacks during the Taliban insurgency. He was also the uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, Afghanistan’s current interior minister.
The Haqqani faction is reportedly engaged in a power struggle within the Taliban, competing with a more hardline faction aligned with the group’s supreme leader in Kandahar.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, violence in Afghanistan has decreased significantly. However, senior Taliban figures, including provincial governors, commanders, and clerics, have been targeted in attacks, many of which have been claimed by the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K). IS-K remains active in Afghanistan and has carried out regular attacks on civilians, foreign nationals, and Taliban officials.
