The acting governor of a province in war torn Afghanistan was killed by a suicide bomber on Tuesday morning, June 6, months after the region’s police chief was killed in a similar attack claimed by the Islamic State group.
The regional affiliate of ISIS — known as the ISIS in Khorasan Province — is a key rival of the Taliban.
The militant group has increased its attacks in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover of the country in August 2021, ousting the US-backed government and ending their two-decade insurgency, but terrorist group, Islamic State (IS) remains a threat.
Targets have included Taliban patrols and members of Afghanistan’s.
The bomber drove a car filled with explosives into the vehicle carrying Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi — the deputy governor of northern Badakhshan before stepping up as acting governor last month in the provincial capital Faizabad.
‘The target of this attack was the vehicle carrying Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi,’ said Muazuddin Ahmadi, the head of culture and information in the province.
The driver was also killed and six others wounded in the attack, which has so far not been claimed by anyone.
Bombing have become expected in the country. The head of the province’s police force was killed in a suicide blast claimed by IS in December last year.
A bomb attack also killed the head of the mining department in April last year.
The Taliban and IS share an austere Sunni Islamist ideology but the latter group is fighting to establish a global caliphate instead of the Taliban’s aim of ruling an independent Afghanistan.
IS has killed and wounded hundreds of people in attacks since the Taliban government returned to power, some targeting foreigners, in a bid to undermine the Taliban government.
In recent months, the Taliban cracked down on ISIS.
Their security forces killed several regional members, including leaders, in separate operations in February.
Taliban forces have also detained ISIS members, including foreign nationals planning deadly attacks, during raids, according to Mujahid.
In January, eight ISIS militants were killed and nine others arrested in raids targeting key figures in Kabul and Nimroz provinces.
