KABUL, Dec. 14, (Xinhua/GNA) — The murder of Khalil Rahman Haqqani, the Afghan caretaker government’s acting minister for refugees and repatriation in his office on Wednesday has, drawn widespread condemnations both domestically and internationally.
A key figure in the administration, Haqqani, was the first cabinet member killed in a terror attack since the Afghan caretaker government assumed power in 2021, following the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces in mid-August 2021.
The terror group Islamic State (IS), claimed responsibility for the attack.
In the deadly attack, four people, including Haqqani, were killed and four others, including his guards, critically injured.
In a sharp reaction, the Afghan caretaker government attributed the attack to “Khawarij,” a term often used to refer to IS, and stated, “The Islamic Emirate considers the martyrdom of late Haqqani a great loss for the Islamic Emirate, Mujahideen and all Afghans.”
Former Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, in a message posted on social media, strongly condemned the attack on Haqqani, and offered sympathies to his family.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also denounced the attack, saying that “there can be no place for terrorism in the quest for stability” and offered condolences to the victims’ families.
Some countries and international organizations have described the incident as a terrorist attack, and expressed their condemnations.
GNA