Outstanding Taliban cleric Sheikh Rahimullah Haqqani was killed when an attacker detonated explosives hidden in a plastic synthetic leg, in keeping with officers.

“Very sadly knowledgeable that revered cleric [Haqqani] was martyred in a cowardly assault by enemies,” Bilal Karimi, a spokesperson for the Taliban administration, stated in an announcement.

Quickly afterwards, Isis claimed accountability for the assault.

4 Taliban sources instructed Reuters that the attacker was somebody who had beforehand misplaced his leg and had hidden the explosives in a plastic synthetic leg.

“We’re investigating who this particular person was, and who had introduced him to this vital place to enter the private workplace of Sheikh Rahimullah Haqqani. It’s a really enormous loss for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,” stated a senior Taliban official on the inside ministry, referring to the group’s title for its administration.

Haqqani was one of the crucial “distinguished advocates for the Taliban, and one of many largest of them who incited to struggle” Isis, the monitoring group SITE stated, translating an announcement from Isis.

Haqqani had survived earlier assaults, together with a blast within the northern Pakistani metropolis of Peshawar in 2020, which was claimed by Isis and killed at the very least seven folks.

After Haqqani’s demise, many Taliban officers paid tribute to him on social media. “You have got fulfilled your accountability. Future can’t be prevented, however the Muslim group has been orphaned,” wrote Mobin Khan, a former spokesperson for the Kabul police.

Islamic organisation Tanzeem-e-Islami added: “We vehemently condemn the suicide blast in #Kabul wherein the Islamic scholar, Sheikh Rahimullah Haqqani was martyred.

“The malevolent forces have resorted to perpetrating the worst sort of terrorism in Afghanistan.”

Journalist Muhammad Haris wrote: “Proper after the return of the Islamic Emirate, Sheikh Rahimullah Haqqani began educating public courses in Kabul. I’ve watched a lot of his lectures. He had a broad understanding of the Muslim and international affairs, and an affect. Might Allah forgive him and grant him excessive Jannah.”