The Taliban is under pressure, facing an increasing number of attacks from terror groups seeking to undermine its rule and destabilise Afghanistan. However, this is a problem of the Taliban’s own making.
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The Taliban’s acting refugee minister Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani was killed in a suicide bombing earlier this month. Taliban government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid called the bombing, which reportedly killed and wounded several other ministry employees, a “cowardly attack”.
Haqqani is the highest-ranking leader in the Taliban-led administration to be killed since the group re-took power in August 2021. He is the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, founder of the Haqqani Network, and uncle of acting interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani.
The family are key power brokers in Afghanistan, viewed as a more pragmatic faction vying for influence against the more extreme elements of Taliban leadership, who adhere to a strict interpretation of Islam.
Islamic State Khorasan (or Isis-K) quickly claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing this month, reportedly saying that its agent Abu Usman Khorasani evaded security to kill Haqqani. The group is an offshoot of Islamic State and seeks to create a caliphate across South and Central Asia.
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Since 2021, the Taliban has claimed to have improved the security situation in Afghanistan by reining in Isis-K but the facts on the ground tell a different story.