Senior commander of Haqqani group killed in suicide blast in Afghanistan -

Islamabad: Rahimullah Haqqani, a senior commander of the Haqqani network in the Taliban, was killed in a suicide blast in Kabul. This is considered a significant setback for the Haqqani group, which is influential in Afghanistan. The Afghan media has been drawing attention to the fact that the terror outfit IS is responsible for Rahimullah’s killing. It is also claimed that Rahimullah may have been killed due to enmity between the Haqqani and Kandahari factions within the Taliban. Meanwhile, reports emerge that Rahimullah Haqqani had ‘connections’ with Pakistan.

Rahimullah Haqqani had attended an event in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul and was killed over there in an attack by a suicide bomber. Preliminary information is emerging that the suicide bomber had hidden explosives in an artificial leg. It is not clear how many more were killed in the blast. But locals say the blast was powerful.

Although no terrorist organisation has claimed responsibility for the attack on Rahimullah, IS is claimed to be responsible for it. IS had earlier attempted to attack Rahimullah Haqqani. Rahimullah was a staunch opponent of the IS. In his campaign rallies in Kabul, Rahimullah had criticised IS several times. It is being speculated that IS may have targeted Rahimullah to avenge this.

But at the same time, the attack on Rahimullah is also seen as a result of an internal conflict within the Taliban. It has been a year since the Taliban took over Afghanistan. During this period, sharp differences between the Taliban have come to the fore. Dissatisfaction is brewing among other factions within the Taliban as the Haqqani network, which operates at the behest of Pakistan, holds the reins of Afghanistan. The Taliban’s Kandahari group is at the forefront of this. In September last year, there were reports of clashes between Haqqani and Kandahari groups in Kunar province.

Mullah Yaqoob, the son of Taliban founder Mullah Omar and defence minister in the current regime, and Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Baradar took a stand against the Haqqani group. But the Kandahari group had to retreat after Pakistan’s intervention. This angered Kandahari as well as other factions within the Taliban. Therefore, it is being claimed that Rahimullah may have been killed due to internal conflict.

The attack on Rahimullah is the biggest warning to the Haqqani group. Afghan analysts say this will fuel the internal conflict in the Taliban and push Afghanistan back to civil war. Before the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, Rahimullah Haqqani trained extremists in Pakistan’s Peshawar province. Rahimullah was responsible for preparing the youth for suicide attacks.

Meanwhile, a senior commander of Tehrik-i-Taliban, Omar Khalid Khorasani, was killed in a drone attack in Afghanistan two days ago. Pakistan is claimed to be responsible for Khorasani’s assassination. After the death of Rahimullah Haqqani of the Pakistan-affiliated Haqqani group, a new conflict seems to be igniting in Afghanistan.