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Update 2:40 PM PDT: The Islamic State news agency published a statement from claiming the assassination of the Taliban Minister of Refugees and Repatriation (Khalil Rahman Haqqani). They claimed it was as response to the Taliban’s peace agreement with the US.
A senior Taliban official has been killed in a suicide bombing, marking the most high-profile assassination since the Taliban’s return to power.
What’s the deal: According to reports from the ground, a suicide bombing occurred inside the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing Khalil Haqqani, a senior Taliban official, along with several others. The attacker reportedly disguised themselves as a visitor, evading security to detonate explosives near Haqqani while he was signing documents. The blast, which claimed the lives of at least six people, including three of Haqqani’s bodyguards, is one of the most significant attacks in Kabul since the Taliban regained power in 2021.
Who did it?: The Taliban is blaming ISIS-K, the Islamic State’s affiliate in Afghanistan, for the suicide bombing that killed Haqqani, though the group has not officially claimed responsibility. ISIS-K has a history of orchestrating deadly attacks in the region, including a bombing at Kabul airport in August 2021 during the US withdrawal, which killed 182 people, including 13 US servicemembers. The group has also targeted civilians, government officials, and religious sites, including a series of bombings in Kabul earlier this year.
Support from a neighbor: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar condemned the attack that killed Haqqani. In a statement, Dar said, “We are deeply shocked by the martyrdom of Khalil Haqqani and the loss of precious lives as a result of a terrorist attack. We offer our heartfelt condolences.”
Digging deeper: Khalil Haqqani was a senior member of the Haqqani Network, a faction within the Taliban known for its violent operations and ties to Al-Qaeda. Born in 1966 in Afghanistan’s Paktia Province, he was the uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s acting interior minister and leader of the Haqqani Network. Khalil played a pivotal role during the Taliban’s 20-year insurgency, overseeing fundraising efforts in the Gulf states and South Asia to support the group’s operations. Designated a terrorist by the US in 2011, with a $5 million bounty for his capture, he was accused of orchestrating terror activities and facilitating Al-Qaeda operations. After the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, Khalil became the Minister for Refugees and Repatriation, focusing on Afghanistan’s ongoing displacement crises and working to establish international aid relations, including recent talks with Chinese diplomats.
