The Taliban government’s Minister for Refugees, Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani, was killed in an explosion at the ministry’s headquarters in Kabul on Wednesday, as confirmed by two senior Taliban officials to CBS News. The blast also claimed the lives of several colleagues, with casualty estimates ranging from a few to up to 10 individuals. Investigations are ongoing to identify the perpetrators and confirm the exact number of victims.
Khalil Haqqani, a key figure in the Taliban and the Haqqani network, was the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, the network’s late founder, and the uncle of Afghanistan’s current Interior Minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani. Known for his commanding presence, Khalil Haqqani played a prominent role during the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, even attending official meetings armed with a rifle.
The attack marks a significant setback for the Taliban regime, particularly for the Haqqani network, which shares power with other factions within the Taliban while navigating internal rivalries. Both entities are designated terrorist organizations by the U.S. government.
While violence in Afghanistan has decreased since the Taliban’s resurgence in 2021, ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), a regional offshoot of ISIS, remains active. The group frequently targets Taliban officials, civilians, and foreign nationals to destabilize the regime. As CBS News reported, such attacks reflect ongoing security challenges in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
