KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP), an affiliate of ISIS, has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Kabul that killed Khalil-ur-Rehman Haqqani, the Taliban Minister for Refugee and Repatriation.
In a statement on the group’s media outlet, Amaq News Agency, ISKP announced that its operative, Abu Usman Khorasani, bypassed the ministry’s security guards and carried out the attack, with Haqqani being the primary target.
The suicide bombing occurred inside the Taliban Ministry of Refugee and Repatriation on Wednesday, killing at least five people, including Haqqani, and injuring several others.
The Taliban confirmed the attack and Haqqani’s death, with chief spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid calling it a “great loss” for the regime and saying that “Khawarij,” their term for ISIS, carried out the “brutal attack.”
The funeral ceremony of Haqqani is reportedly scheduled to take place today in his home province of Paktia, with the participation of Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Khalil-ur-Rehman Haqqani was the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, the founder of the Haqqani network, and the uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the current leader of the Haqqani network and the Taliban Interior Minister. The Haqqani network, designated a terrorist group by the US and the UN, is responsible for a dozen attacks in Afghanistan, resulting in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of civilians, including foreign nationals.
In 2011, the US government designated Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” and offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest. His nephew, Sirajuddin, is also on the FBI’s most wanted list, with a $10 million bounty on his head. He recently traveled to the UAE and met with senior officials, including President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi, the Emirati capital.
He was appointed Minister for Refugee and Repatriation in 2021, following the collapse of the Western-backed republic government and the Taliban’s return to power.
Haqqani was the first Taliban minister to be killed during the past three years of their rule in Afghanistan. Last year, the Taliban governor for Balkh province, Mohammad Dawood Muzammil, and the deputy governor for Badakhshan province, Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi, were both killed in similar attacks claimed by ISKP.
While the Taliban claims to have significantly dismantled ISKP, the terrorist group has carried out major and horrific attacks targeting Taliban members and religious minorities, including Hazara-Shia and Sufis, across the country.
The suicide attack and the killing of Haqqani sparked reactions and condemnation from Pakistan, the UN mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the European Union (EU), the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and Afghan politicians.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, condemned the “terrorist attack,” expressing that he was “deeply shocked” by the death of Haqqani. “Pakistan unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. We are in contact with the interim Afghan Government [Taliban] to gather more details,” he said.
In a post on X today, UNAMA denounced the attack, stating that there can be no place for terrorism in the quest for stability, and offered condolences to the affected families.
The EU delegation in Afghanistan stated, “EU strongly condemns all acts of violence. We condemn the violent attack on the acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation with several casualties.”
In a statement, the OIC also condemned the deadly attack and called for the perpetrators to be held accountable.
