Taliban’s minister for refugees was killed in a bombing in Kabul, according to his nephew

Khalil Rahman Haqqani, the Afghan Taliban’s acting minister for refugees, and six other individuals were murdered Wednesday in Kabul, the country’s capital, in an explosion, according to his nephew.

The Islamic State terrorist organization murdered Khalil Haqqani, according to a statement from the Taliban spokesperson, however they did not immediately take credit for the assault.

When international forces left Afghanistan in 2021, Khalil Haqqani was appointed a minister in the Taliban’s provisional administration. He was a top commander of the Haqqani network, a terrorist group that the U.S. State Department claims was responsible for significant strikes during the 20-year conflict.

“We lost a very brave Mujahid,” his nephew Anas Haqqani told Reuters, referring to “holy warrior,” the Taliban’s designation for its warriors. “We will never forget him and his sacrifice.”

He said that after afternoon prayers, Khalil Haqqani was leaving a mosque when the explosion occurred.

Pakistan, a neighbor, stated in a statement that he was “shocked” by the incident.

“Pakistan unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” he said.

With the withdrawal of Western forces, the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 2021 and promised to restore security, however assaults in urban areas have persisted.

Four persons were killed in a bomb that occurred in 2022 close to the interior ministry and was directed by Sirajuddin Haqqani, the head of the Haqqani network. In 2023, at least five people were murdered in an attack outside the foreign ministry operated by the Taliban, according to Islamic State.

In 2011, Washington designated Khalil Haqqani, who Taliban members said was in his 50s, a “global terrorist” and offered a $5 million reward for information that would result in his capture.