KABUL (SW) – Following the IS’s claim of responsibility for the suicide attack on Khalil-al-Rahman Haqqani, the acting Minister of Repatriations and Refugees (MoRR) on Wednesday, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, has stated that the attack was carried out through “deception and conspiracy”.
Mujahid called the attack, which resulted in the death of Khalil-al-Rahman Haqqani, the acting Minister of Repatriations and Refugees, and several others, a “crime” and emphasized that such events do not reflect the operational strength of Daesh (Islamic State).
Mujahid stressed that the Islamic Emirate’s security forces will take measures to prevent similar incidents in the future. “Daesh has no position or strength in Afghanistan. This cowardly attack, based on deceit and conspiracy, was carried out by an individual, and it does not demonstrate their power. It is a crime, and it involved significant trickery to even reach that place,” he added.
The attack has sparked widespread condemnation both domestically and internationally. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, the European Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and prominent political figures such as former Afghan President Hamid Karzai have all condemned the attack.
The funeral of Khalil-al-Rahman Haqqani was held on Thursday afternoon in the “Sarani” area of the Gerda Seray district in Paktia.
High-ranking officials from the Islamic Emirate attended the funeral ceremony, including Mohammad Abdul Kabir, Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs; Amir Khan Muttaqi, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs; Sirajuddin Haqqani, Acting Minister of the Interior Affairs, and other cabinet members, along with religious scholars and young people.
Meanwhile, experts have expressed concern about the attack on the ministry, urging the intelligence and security forces of the Islamic Emirate to increase efforts in cooperation with the public to prevent such events from recurring.
Aziz Stanekzai, a political and security affairs expert, said, “This is very concerning and alarming. Despite the efforts of Afghanistan’s security and intelligence forces, such an unexpected incident occurred, which could pose further challenges to Afghanistan’s security. The current government of Afghanistan, with the firm cooperation of the people and collection of reports, must work to reduce security issues.”
Military analyst Ahmad Khan Andar, noting the decades of conflict in Afghanistan and the current state of security following the rise of the Islamic Emirate, says that certain external forces are attempting to destabilize the country.
“It is clear that in a country with decades of war, enemies of the people and our country continue to try to disrupt the current security situation and are orchestrating such intelligence-based assassinations.”
Khalil-al-Rahman Haqqani was born in 1966 in Paktia province. He was appointed as the acting Minister of Repatriations and Refugees following the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate in 2021.
