Khalil Haqqani killed: Know about the Haqqani network which he was a member of
File photo Khalil Haqqani.
Taliban's Acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation Khalil Haqqani was killed in an explosion in Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul, sources told WION on Wednesday (Dec 11).
The sources said that the explosion, which was a suicide attack, took place in the Ministry of Refugees itself. The Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP) is suspected behind the blast.
Khalil was a member of the Haqqani network and the brother of the network's founderJalaluddin Haqqani. He was also the uncle of Taliban Interior MinisterSiraj Haqqani.
What is the Haqqani network?
According to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the Haqqani network has its roots in the Afghan conflict of the late 1970s. In the mid-80s, the group's founder Jalaluddin forged a relationship with the now-deceased leader of Al-Qaeda Osama bin Laden.
"Jalaluddin joined the Taliban movement in 1995, but maintained his own power base along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan," it added.
The Haqqani Network has been responsible for many of the high-profile attacks in Afghanistan, the UNSC said, adding, that the network has also been involved in several kidnappings and has cooperated with Taliban and other militantorganisations in Afghanistan.
In 2012, the United States (US) designated the Haqqani network as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO)because of its involvement in the Afghan insurgency, attacks on US military and civilian personnel and Western interests in Afghanistan.
According to the Counter Terrorism Guide, the Haqqani Network is primarily based in Pakistan's North Waziristan and carries out cross-border operations into eastern Afghanistan and Kabul.