UN condemns suicide attack on Afghan minister

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan on Thursday condemned an attack claimed by the Islamic State group that killed the refugees minister and several others.

The Minister for Refugees and Repatriation, Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani, was killed on Wednesday afternoon in a suicide bombing at the ministry's offices in the capital Kabul.

"There can be no place for terrorism in the quest for stability," the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on X, offering condolences to the victims' families.

The European Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation also condemned the attack, along with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran.

Haqqani -- who is on US and UN sanctions lists and never appeared without an automatic weapon in his hand -- was the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, founder of the feared Haqqani network responsible for some of the most violent attacks during the Taliban's two-decade insurgency.

He was also the uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the current interior minister.

Khalil Ur Rahman Haqqani's funeral was set for Thursday at 2 pm (0930 GMT) in Paktia province, south of Kabul.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, saying a bomber detonated an explosive vest inside the ministry, according to a statement on its Amaq news agency, as translated by the SITE Intelligence Group.

Taliban authorities had already blamed IS for the "cowardly attack" -- the first targeting a minister since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Violence has waned in Afghanistan since the Taliban forces took over the country in 2021, ending their war against US-led NATO coalition forces.

However, the regional chapter of IS, known as Islamic State Khorasan, is active in Afghanistan and has regularly targeted civilians, foreigners and Taliban officials with gun and bomb attacks.