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On Wednesday, Afghanistan’s Minister for Refugees was killed in a devastating suicide bombing that targeted the ministry’s offices in Kabul. Government officials confirmed the tragic attack, which has since been claimed by the Islamic State group.
This violent assault marks yet another blow in the ongoing struggle for stability in the country, with the IS group continuing to assert its deadly presence amidst the chaos.
The Taliban quickly denounced the bombing as a “cowardly attack,” attributing it to the Islamic State group. AFP reported that government sources confirmed the death of Minister Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani in the attack, alongside several of his associates. This tragic incident sheds light on the ongoing peril faced by Afghan officials, as the country grapples with the persistent threat of extremist violence.
The explosion, which claimed the life of Minister Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani, was a suicide blast, according to the official. This attack is particularly significant as it represents the first targeted assault on a minister since the Taliban seized power again in 2021, underlining the heightened dangers faced by Afghan leadership.
The Islamic State (IS) quickly claimed responsibility for the attack, releasing a photograph of the bomber it identified as the perpetrator.
According to a statement by the group’s Amaq news agency, the attacker detonated his explosive vest after breaching the security barriers within the ministry’s headquarters. This chilling claim underscores the growing audacity of IS operations in a country already teetering on the edge of chaos.
Following the attack, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid offered a tribute to the fallen minister, referring to him as a “great fighter” who had “fallen as a martyr” in service of the cause.
In the wake of the bombing, the Taliban imposed a security lockdown, blocking roads leading to the ministry, with officers strategically positioned on nearby rooftops to maintain tight control over the area.
The ministry’s account on X said training workshops were held in recent days on its premises. The ministry’s corridors are often full of numerous displaced people coming to request assistance or to follow up on resettlement cases in a country that still has more than three million war-displaced
Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani — who seldom appeared without an automatic weapon in his hand — was the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, founder of the feared Haqqani network responsible for some of the most violent attacks during the Taliban’s two-decade insurgency.
He was also the uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the current interior minister.
Khalil Ur-Rahman’s nephew, Anas Haqqani, praised his uncle, saying he “reached the highest level of martyrdom”, and condemned his killing by “those who apparently claim to follow the blessed religion of Islam”, in a post on X.
The Haqqanis are said to be engaged in a struggle for influence within the Taliban authorities. According to press reports, they are pitted as a pragmatic faction up against supporters of the severe interpretation of Islamic law in line with the Taliban’s supreme leader based in Kandahar.
Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani, who was 58, had been on US and UN sanctions lists, with Washington offering $5 million for information on him. Several senior Taliban leaders have been killed since their return to power, including provincial governors, commanders and religious clerics, mostly in attacks claimed by IS.
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Violence has waned in Afghanistan since the Taliban forces took over the country in 2021, ending their war against US-led NATO coalition forces.
However, the regional chapter of IS, known as Islamic State Khorasan, is active in Afghanistan and has regularly targeted civilians, foreigners and Taliban officials with gun and bomb attacks.
In Kabul, explosions regularly echo through the city, but while local sources report them, they are rarely confirmed by Taliban authorities.
At the end of October, a child was killed and about 10 people were wounded in a bomb attack on a downtown market.
In November, IS claimed responsibility for a gun attack that left 10 people dead at a Sufi shrine in northern Baghlan province. The Taliban authorities frequently announce the arrest or killing of jihadist group members — even as they continue to claim that the IS threat has been eradicated in the country.
