Afghan Refugee Minister Khalil Urrahman Haqqani was killed in a suicide bomb explosion at his office in the capital Kabul, his nephew Anas Haqqani announced.
“We have lost a very brave Mujahid,” Anas Haqqani told Reuters, using the Taliban’s term for jihadists. “We will never forget him and his sacrifice.”
Government officials said the explosion occurred at the Ministry of Refugees, killing the minister along with several of his colleagues. He added that a suicide bomber caused the explosion.
Mr. Haqqani was the younger brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, who founded the Haqqani Network, which was responsible for some of the attacks during the Taliban’s 20-year insurgency.
He was also the uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the current Minister of Interior.
The Haqqani faction is said to be competing for influence within the Taliban authorities.
Since the Taliban returned to power, several senior Taliban officials have been killed, including provincial governors, commanders, and religious clerics, mostly in attacks claimed by Daesh.
After foreign troops withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, Khalil Haqqani became a minister in the interim Taliban government.
