Daesh Claims Responsibility for Assassination of Taliban Official in Badakhshan

Faizabad: A regional branch of the Daesh terror group has claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on a Taliban official in northeastern Afghanistan, as reported by a monitoring organisation, SITE intelligence group. The head of the information and culture department in Badakhshan, Zabihullah Amiri, was shot dead while traveling to the provincial capital, Faizabad.

According to TRTworld.com, the Daesh-Khorasan group, operating in Afghanistan and Pakistan, announced on Wednesday that it was behind the attack on Amiri. Notably, Amiri was the nephew of Amanuddin Mansur, the governor of Helmand province. In response to the attack, Afghanistan’s information and culture ministry confirmed that one of the assailants was killed and another was arrested, labeling the incident a “cowardly attack.”

The ministry issued a statement on Tuesday, emphasizing, “The enemies of the government should know that such cowardly acts will never weaken our firm resolve and steadfast determination.” Despite the Taliban’s commitment to restoring security since regaining power in 2021, sporadic attacks have persisted throughout Afghanistan.

The regional branch of the Daesh terror group has taken credit for several attacks, including an explosion at a Chinese restaurant in Kabul in January, which claimed at least seven lives. Additionally, the terror group claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in December 2024 that killed Khalil Ur Rahman Haqqani, the refugees minister, in Kabul.