Afghanistan Peace CampaignHe was killed in a blast at the Ministry of Refugees in Kabul, according to two government officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
While the Haqqanis have long been a dominant force within the Taliban, they had appeared to lose influence recently amid speculation about a rift between regime leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting interior minister and a nephew of Khalil Haqqani.
In a message to The Washington Post, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid blamed ISIS-K, the local Islamic State branch, for the attack.
The blast shocked many Taliban government members and supporters, who turned to social media Wednesday night to share their shock and grief. The Taliban claims that its recent crackdown against ISIS-K has dismantled the group’s operational capabilities, and some questioned how one or more attackers managed to breach the Taliban’s security checkpoints.
Mujahid, the chief spokesman, called the killing an “irreparable loss to the Islamic Emirate,” using the Taliban’s official name for Afghanistan. He praised Haqqani’s contributions to the Taliban, citing a U.S. reward of up to $5 million for information on him.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s blast, which also killed three other people and injured four, according to the government.
The Taliban faces opposition from ISIS-K, which portrays the Taliban as too moderate, and from the National Resistance Front, an anti-Taliban movement led by former officials of the toppled U.S.-backed Afghan government. For either group, committing an attack on a high-profile target inside a heavily secured Taliban ministry would be unprecedented.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees has largely uncontroversial responsibilities, primarily facilitating the arrival of Afghans who are being deported by neighboring countries such as Iran and Pakistan.