Top Afghan cleric killed by bomb hidden inside artificial leg
- The attack, which took place at a religious school, was carried out by a suicide bomber who detonated explosives hidden in his plastic artificial leg
- The senior cleric, known for his fiery speeches against the jihadist Islamic State group, had survived at least two previous assassination attempts
A prominent Taliban cleric, Sheikh Rahimullah Haqqani, was killed in an attack in Kabul on Thursday, according to an intelligence official.
Abdul Rahman, the head of intelligence for the district in the Afghan capital where the blast took place, confirmed the death.
Four Taliban sources said the attack had taken place in a religious seminary in the Afghan capital when a man who had previously lost his leg had detonated explosives hidden in a plastic artificial leg. It was not immediately clear who was behind the blast and the sources said the Taliban was investigating.
The senior cleric known for his fiery speeches against the jihadist Islamic State (IS) group was killed by a suicide bomber at his madrasa, police said.
Haqqani, who had recently spoken publicly in favour of girls being allowed to attend school, had survived at least two previous assassination attempts – including one in Pakistan in October 2020.
“He is the only one martyred,” Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said, adding that at least four others were wounded in the blast.
