Thousands attend the funeral of a Taliban minister killed by an Islamic State suicide bomber
Thousands of people have attended the funeral of a Taliban government minister killed in an Islamic State suicide bombing the previous day
GARDA SERAI, Afghanistan (AP) — Thousands of people attended the funeral on Thursday of a Taliban minister killed in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, the day before that was claimed by the Islamic State group.
The funeral for Khalil Haqqani, the minister for refugees and repatriation, was held in the eastern Paktia province. The Cabinet member was the most high-profile casualty of an assault in the country since the Taliban seized power three years ago.
The minister, who died in a blast Wednesday at his ministry in Kabul along with five others, was the uncle of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the acting interior minister and the leader of a powerful faction within the Taliban. The United States has placed a bounty on both their heads.
Tight security was in place for the high-ranking officials attending the funeral, including Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Deputy Prime Minister Maulvi Abdul Kabir.
