Afghan refugee minister Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani killed in blast: Reports

Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani entered government after the Taliban seized power following US-led drawdown in 2021.

Afghanistan’s acting minister for refugees has been killed in an explosion in the capital, Kabul, according to his nephew and officials.

Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani was killed on Wednesday in the blast that also claimed the lives of five others, local media said.

His death was confirmed by his nephew, Anas Haqqani, Reuters news agency reported. Interior Ministry officials told The Associated Press news agency the explosion was caused by a suicide bombing. A government source, who asked to remain anonymous, told the AFP news agency that the explosion happened at the Ministry of Refugees in Kabul.

The Taliban leadership has not yet confirmed Haqqani’s death, and there has been no claim of responsibility.

Haqqani became a minister in the Taliban’s interim government after foreign forces withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021.

He was a senior leader of the powerful Haqqani Network, responsible for a number of violent attacks during the Taliban’s two-decade armed campaign, according to the US State Department.

Haqqani, who was handling the incoming refugee crisis in Afghanistan, was also the uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the current interior minister.