Kabul [Afghanistan], December 11 : Afghanistan's acting minister for refugees, Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani, was killed in an explosion in Kabul on Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported.
The attack also claimed the lives of five others. The blast occurred at the Ministry of Refugees, where Haqqani was working.
A Taliban spokesman confirmed his death, and Interior Ministry officials stated that the explosion was caused by a suicide bombing. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Haqqani's death marks a significant loss for the Taliban government, which came into power after the US-led drawdown from Afghanistan in 2021. He had been serving as the acting minister for refugees since then, reported Al Jazeera.
Haqqani, a senior figure in the Haqqani Network, a militant group responsible for numerous violent attacks during the Taliban's two-decade insurgency, was widely recognised for his role in handling the refugee crisis that escalated following the Taliban's return to power.
He was also the uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban's current Interior Minister.
The bombing comes amid rising tensions and a volatile security situation in Afghanistan. Haqqani's position within the Taliban, particularly his leadership in the refugee ministry, placed him at the forefront of efforts to address the humanitarian challenges facing the country, Al Jazeera reported.