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Khalil Haqqani was the uncle of Afghan interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and a major fundraiser for the Taliban
Afghanistan’s minister for refugees, Khalil Haqqani, killed in Kabul. (Photo: AFP)
A suicide bombing in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Wednesday killed Taliban refugee minister Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani and two others.
Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Khalil Haqqani was the uncle of Afghan interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and a major fundraiser for the Taliban.
He was playing a crucial role in Afghanistan’s interim government as the acting minister for refugees.
Sources said Khalil was a senior leader of the Haqqani network and instrumental in orchestrating major attacks throughout the 20-year conflict in Afghanistan.
Khalil’s death is being seen as a substantial blow to the Taliban because he was a key figure in maintaining relationships with foreign donors and was responsible for fundraising activities on behalf of the Taliban and the Haqqani network.
The United States Treasury designated Khalil Haqqani as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in 2011, offering a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
ISIS-K has been active in Afghanistan and regularly targets both Taliban regime officials and civilians
According to top intelligence sources, one possible reason behind the attack is the rivalry between ISIS-K and the Taliban connected to the takeover of Afghanistan.
“Khalil Haqqani was playing an important role in the Taliban government as a fundraiser and through his proximity to Siraj. This may destabilise the whole equation,” said a source. “ISIS-K’s desire is to create chaos once again, as they have done immediately after the takeover.”
Another possibility, which is subject to verification, sources said, is that the Kandhari group of the Taliban could be involved in the attack. There have been major tensions between the Haqqanis and Kandharis in recent times, they added.
