Over the three and a half years of Taliban rule in Afghanistan, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K) has not only launched deadly attacks on civilians, including students, worshippers, and Hazara, Shia, and Sufi travelers, but also eliminated at least eight influential and powerful Taliban members or ideologues.
IS-K's attacks on public places, such as mosques and schools, often involve conventional insurgency tactics like bombings or coordinated assaults by multiple attackers. However, targeting senior Taliban officials, who live behind high-security barriers and have years of experience orchestrating such attacks, requires innovative and surprising methods.
The Taliban, who fought against Afghanistan's previous government and international forces for years, employed various techniques for assassinations and deadly bombings. Yet, some of IS-K's methods against the Taliban differ significantly from traditional Taliban-style attacks.
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Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani – Kabul
For the first time during the Taliban's rule, IS-K successfully targeted a prominent Taliban figure. Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, a key leader for whom the U.S. had offered a $5 million reward, was killed in a surprise suicide bombing on Wednesday, December 11, at the Ministry of Refugees in Kabul.
Security sources in Kabul, speaking anonymously, told Independent Persian that the attacker, who killed Haqqani along with several others, had repeatedly visited the ministry under various pretexts, such as seeking family stipends for relatives killed in the war against the previous Afghan government and U.S. forces. Photos on social media showed the attacker passing through a metal detector at Haqqani's office entrance and in the mosque within the ministry's compound.
According to sources cited by Saeed Termezi, an analyst of militant groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan, the attacker claimed he had undergone surgery and had metal implants in his hand, allowing him to bypass the metal detector.
In a statement hours after Haqqani's death, the Taliban described the incident as a "great loss," accusing "Kharijites" (a term they use for IS-K) of killing him. The statement also acknowledged the U.S. reward for Haqqani's capture, highlighting his role in the Haqqani Network's deadly operations.
Mawlawi Dawood Muzammil – Balkh
Dawood Muzammil, a trusted lieutenant of Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, was killed on March 9, 2023, in Balkh. As the Taliban governor, Muzammil was targeted by an IS-K suicide bomber who had previously visited his office under the guise of legal consultations. The attacker detonated explosives as Muzammil entered his office, killing him and at least 15 others.
Following Muzammil's death, Yousuf Wafa, another trusted associate of Akhundzada, was appointed governor of Balkh.
Rahimullah Haqqani – Kabul
Rahimullah Haqqani, a prominent Taliban cleric and ideologue, was killed on August 11, 2022, during a lecture in Kabul. Known for establishing several religious and jihadist schools in Pakistan, Haqqani survived previous IS-K assassination attempts but succumbed to a bombing by an attacker hiding explosives in a wheelchair.
Mawlawi Abdulhaq Abu Omar – Badakhshan
On December 26, 2022, a car bomb killed Mawlawi Abdulhaq Abu Omar, a Taliban police chief in Badakhshan, along with his guards. Omar, a respected Taliban figure, played a significant role in the group’s military operations in northeastern Afghanistan.
Mawlawi Mujiburrahman Ansari – Herat
A pro-Taliban cleric, Ansari was killed during Friday prayers at a Herat mosque on September 2, 2022. The attacker, posing as a student and supporter, detonated explosives while embracing Ansari in a crowd.
Mawlawi Moizuddin Ahmadi and Safiullah Samim – Badakhshan
Ahmadi, the deputy governor of Badakhshan, and Samim, a former Taliban commander, were killed in separate IS-K attacks in June 2023. Ahmadi died in a car bombing en route to work, while Samim was killed the next day in a suicide bombing at a funeral.
Mawlawi Hamdullah Mukhlis – Kabul
On November 2, 2021, Hamdullah Mukhlish, a key Taliban commander, became the first senior Taliban figure killed by IS-K after the group regained power. Mukhlish died during an IS-K assault on Kabul’s Dawood Khan Hospital.
Broader Implications
These targeted attacks illustrate IS-K’s ability to bypass Taliban security measures, despite claims by Taliban officials that the group has been subdued. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has repeatedly asserted that IS-K’s operational capabilities have been dismantled in Afghanistan. However, IS-K’s attacks on key Taliban figures, as well as operations in Pakistan, Iran, and even Russia, raise concerns about its potential as a global security threat.
Mukhtar Wafayee, Independent Persian
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