FAIZABAD: A senior Taliban official was killed in a bomb attack in Faizabad, the capital of Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province, as the Taliban prepare to mark five years since their return to power.
Habib Rahman Mansour, also known as Mawlavi Abdul Rahman Mansour, was travelling in his vehicle when a bomb targeted it in Faizabad, according to Taliban Interior Ministry spokesman and local officials cited by the Associated Press.
The blast killed Mansour and badly damaged his vehicle.
Local Afghan sources and media reports, including Afghanistan International, said the explosion occurred on Aug. 13 in the Shahr-e Kohna area of Faizabad.
The blast took place about 100 metres from the municipal building and the Badakhshan governor’s office.
The vehicle caught fire after the explosion. Mansour and his guards were killed at the scene, according to local reports.
The anti-Taliban armed group National Resistance Front (NRF) claimed responsibility for the attack. It said its fighters targeted Faizabad Mayor Abdul Rahman Mansour and his guards.
The attack came less than two weeks after another senior Taliban official was killed in Badakhshan.
Zabihullah Amiri, the provincial director of information and culture, was shot dead by two gunmen riding a motorcycle.
Targeted attacks on senior Taliban officials have remained relatively rare since the group returned to power in August 2021. However, several senior figures have been killed in attacks over the past few years.
In June 2023, Badakhshan’s deputy governor Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi was killed in a car bombing. Islamic State-Khorasan claimed responsibility for the attack.
In March 2023, the governor of northern Balkh province was killed in a bomb blast inside his office.
In December 2024, Taliban Refugees Minister Khalil Haqqani was killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul.
Rising tensions in Badakhshan
The latest attack comes amid growing security concerns and reports of internal tensions in Badakhshan.
Taliban forces have reportedly clashed with supporters of a breakaway Taliban commander, Jumma Khan Fateh, in the province’s Nusay district.
The latest attack also comes as the Taliban prepare to mark the fifth anniversary of their return to power following the withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan in August 2021.
Also Read: Badakhshan Emerging as New Hub of Anti-Taliban Resistance: US Report
Despite heightened security measures ahead of the anniversary, senior Taliban officials in northeastern Afghanistan, particularly Badakhshan, have continued to face targeted attacks. The incidents highlight the security challenges facing the Taliban administration in the region.
