Taliban religious leader killed in suicide attack in Afghanistan

Religious leader of TalibanSheikh Rahimullah Haqqani, known for his fiery speeches against the Islamic State jihadist group, and one of his siblings were killed today in a suicide attack claimed by IS.

Haqqani, who recently came out publicly in favor of allowing his girls to go to school Afghanistanhad survived at least two previous assassination attempts, one of which was in Pakistan in October 2020.

“Sheikh Rahimullah’s seminary was targeted today and because of that, he and one of his brothers, fell as martyrs”said Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for the Kabul police, adding that three other people were injured in the blast, according to the latest report.

Government spokesman Bilal Karimi, who confirmed Haqqani’s death, said the suicide bomber “managed to break into the office of one of the most prominent supporters of the Taliban and one of greater among them instigators to combat” of IS, before detonating the explosives he was strapped with.

According to Taliban imgs and as relayed by the Athens News Agency, Haqqani, although he did not hold an official position, he was an influential figure who had taught many members of the organization over the years.

Dozens of Taliban members and officials expressed their condolences on social media. “You have fulfilled your debt. Destiny was impossible, but the Muslim community was left an orphanMobin Khan, a former Kabul police spokesman, tweeted.

Haqqani was known for his angry speeches against the Islamic State group, which has claimed responsibility for several attacks in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the country a year ago.

In recent months, Haqqani had also supported the right of girls to go to school. “There is no justification in sharia (Islamic law) to say that women’s education is not allowed, no justification at all“, he told the BBC in an interview in May.