Khalil Haqqani, Afghan Refugee Minister, Killed in Kabul Explosion
Khalil Haqqani, the refugee minister in Afghanistan's Taliban-led administration, has been killed in an explosion in Kabul, as reported by two sources within the government to RFE/RL's Radio Azadi on December 11. The blast occurred inside the ministry's compound and resulted in additional casualties, though specific details regarding the incident have not been disclosed.
Haqqani, who was the uncle of the Taliban's acting interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, marks the first senior cabinet official to perish in an explosion since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, coinciding with the withdrawal of international forces from the war-ravaged nation.
The United States had designated Khalil Haqqani as a global terrorist on February 9, 2011, and had previously offered a $5 million reward for information that could lead to his capture. The assassination of such a high-profile figure raises significant concerns regarding the stability of the Taliban administration and the ongoing security challenges facing Afghanistan.
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