Explosion in Afghan Capital Kills Taliban Refugee Minister, Khalil Haqqani

Kabul: A suicide bombing in Kabul on Wednesday killed the Taliban's refugee minister, according to Interior Ministry officials.

The explosion, which occurred inside the ministry, killed Khalil Haqqani, the Taliban's refugee minister, according to officials.

He is the most high-profile casualty of a bombing in Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power three years ago. 

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast.

Khalil Haqqani, the uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, leads a powerful faction within the Taliban.

Khalil Haqqani, born in 1966 in Afghanistan's Paktia province, was a prominent figure in the Haqqani network, a militant group closely aligned with the Taliban. The Haqqani network was founded by his brother, Jalaluddin Haqqani, and became part of the Taliban in the mid-1990s. 

Khalil Haqqani has been involved in fundraising activities for both the Taliban and the Haqqani network, with financial support from Gulf states and parts of South and East Asia.

Khalil Haqqani was involved in international fundraising for the Taliban, supporting operations in Afghanistan and assisting al-Qaeda forces in Paktia. He also played a key role in military operations for al-Qaeda, providing reinforcements to their fighters in the region. 

The United Nations has linked him to these activities, designating him as a key figure in global terrorism.

(with agency inputs)