Afghan Refugee Minister Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani was killed on Wednesday in a suicide explosion at the Ministry of Refugees’ office in Kabul.
An Afghan government source confirmed the attack, stating, “An explosion occurred at the Ministry of Refugees, and Minister Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani was martyred along with some of his colleagues.” The blast was caused by a suicide bomber.
Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani, a key Taliban figure on the US sanctions list, was the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, founder of the Haqqani network, known for its violent attacks during the Taliban’s insurgency. He was also the uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, Afghanistan’s current interior minister.
The Haqqani faction is said to be in a power struggle within the Taliban government, competing with supporters of stricter Islamic laws aligned with the Taliban’s supreme leader in Kandahar.
Since the Taliban regained power in 2021, several high-ranking officials, including provincial governors, commanders, and clerics, have been killed in attacks, mostly claimed by the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K).
While overall violence has decreased since the Taliban takeover, IS-K remains active, frequently targeting civilians, foreigners, and Taliban officials with bombings and shootings.
