Khalil Haqqani

Khalil Rahman Haqqani (11December 2024) was an Afghan politician and military leader. A Pashtun mujahideen commander, he was designated Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the United States.

Haqqani had been the acting Minister of Refugee and Repatriation in the internationally unrecognized Taliban regime since 7 September 2021. He was a prominent member of the insurgent Haqqani network.

Early life and activities Haqqanis date and place of birth is most likely to be in February 1966 in the Paktia Province of Afghanistan and offered a US$5 million bounty for him as one their most wanted terrorists. He was listed with the title of a Haji and supposed to be residing in Peshawar, Miram Shah, North Waziristan Agency in Pakistan and in Paktia Province of Afghanistan.

On 9February 2011, the United Nations added Khalil Haqqani to the 1988 Sanctions List (TAi.150), pursuant to paragraph 2 of resolution 1904 (2009), for association with al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden or the Taliban for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities by, in conjunction with, under the name of, on behalf of, or in support of" or "otherwise supporting acts or activities of" the Taliban.

The Haqqani network was founded by Khalil Haqqani's brother Jalaluddin Haqqani. In the mid-1990s they joined Mullah Omar's Taliban regime. On 7September 2021, Khalil Haqqani was appointed Minister of Refugees for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in the internationally unrecognized Taliban regime.

Death and funeral On 11December 2024, a suicide bomber killed Haqqani and five others at his ministry office in Kabul. The Washington Post described it as the most significant death among the Taliban leadership since the military takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.

Haqqani was buried in Paktia on 12 December 2024. The funeral, which was attended by thousands of people, took place amid strict security measures.

The Islamic State – Khorasan Province (IS-KP) later claimed responsibility for the attack. According to a report issued by IS's news outlet Amaq, an IS-KP militant waited outside the minister's office and detonated explosives as he walked out.