KABUL, Afghanistan — Daesh, also known as ISIS, has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed Khalil Rahman Haqqani, the Taliban’s Minister for Refugees and Repatriation.
In a statement released on Wednesday, ISIS said that Haqqani was the primary target of the attack.
The group claimed its operative successfully bypassed security barriers to reach the location of the bombing in the ministry’s compound in Kabul.
According to the statement, the attacker waited until Haqqani exited the ministry, accompanied by aides and bodyguards, before detonating an explosive vest. ISIS claimed the explosion killed Haqqani as well as several members of his entourage.
The Taliban, which has consistently downplayed ISIS’s presence in Afghanistan, has not provided specific details about casualties from the attack. The Taliban has often described ISIS attacks as isolated and unrepresentative of a broader insurgency.
This is not the first time ISIS has launched high-profile attacks against Taliban officials. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, ISIS has conducted bombings, targeting government figures, mosques, and civilians.
In its own statement reacting to the attack, the Taliban also attributed responsibility to ISIS.
