Afghan Taliban’s refugees minister killed in Kabul blast
The Afghan Taliban’s acting minister for refugees, Khalil Rahman Haqqani, and six other people were killed in an explosion in the capital Kabul on Wednesday, his nephew said.
The Taliban spokesperson said in a statement that Khalil Haqqani had been killed by the Islamic State militant group, who did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack. Khalil Haqqani became a minister in the Taliban’s interim government after foreign forces withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021.
He was a senior leader of the Haqqani network, a militant faction blamed for major attacks during the 20-year war, according to the US State Department. His nephew Anas Haqqani said the blast took place as Khalil Haqqani was leaving a mosque after afternoon prayers.
Ishaq Dar, the foreign minister of neighboring Pakistan, said he was “shocked” by the attack. The Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021 as foreign forces withdrew, vowing to restore security, but attacks have continued in urban areas.
