Afghan Taliban's refugees minister killed in Kabul blast, his nephew says

Afghan Taliban's Refugee & Repatriation Minister Haji Khalil ur Rahman Haqqani attends the death anniversary of Mullah Mohammad Omar, the late leader and founder of Taliban in Kabul, Afghanistan, Apr 24, 2022. REUTERS/Ali Khara/Files

The Afghan Taliban's acting minister for refugees, Khalil Rahman Haqqani, and six other people were killed in an explosion in the capital Kabul on Wednesday, his nephew Anas Haqqani said.

Khalil 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 Haqqani network, a militant faction blamed for major attacks during the 20-year war, according to the U.S. State Department.

"We lost a very brave Mujahid," Anas Haqqani told Reuters, using the Taliban's term for its fighters, meaning a holy warrior. "We will never forget him and his sacrifice."

It was not immediately clear who was behind the blast.

The Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021 as foreign forces withdrew, vowing to restore security, but attacks have continued in urban areas.

In 2022, a blast took place near the interior ministry, led by Haqqani network leader Sirajuddin Haqqani, killing four people. In 2023, Islamic State claimed an attack outside the Taliban-run foreign ministry that killed at least five.

The US Treasury classified Khalil Haqqani as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" in 2011 and the State Department offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his arrest.