Afghanistan blast: Taliban governor killed in his office

The Taliban politician of Afghanistan's bluish Balkh state has been killed successful an detonation successful his office.

Mohammad Dawood Muzammil is the astir elder authoritative to beryllium killed since the Taliban returned to powerfulness successful 2021.

Violence has since decreased sharply, but salient pro-Taliban figures and others person been killed successful a drawstring of attacks, galore claimed by Islamic State.

Local constabulary said the origin of the latest blast was unclear. There was nary contiguous assertion of responsibility.

But Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said connected Twitter that the politician had been "martyred successful an detonation by the enemies of Islam". An probe is nether way, helium added.

Muzammil is reported to person led the combat against Islamic State militants successful his erstwhile posting arsenic politician of the eastbound state of Nangarhar. He was moved to Balkh past October.

Balkh constabulary spokesperson Mohammed Asif Waziri said the detonation occurred "around 9am... wrong the 2nd level of the governor's office".

Police said astatine slightest 1 different idiosyncratic besides died successful the attack. A fig of others are reported to person been injured.

"There was a bang. I fell connected the ground," Khairuddin, who was wounded successful the blast, told AFP quality agency. He said helium had seen a person suffer a manus successful the explosion.

The detonation occurred conscionable aft the politician arrived successful his office, helium said.

Unconfirmed reports accidental it was a termination attack.

A time earlier provincial Taliban authorities claimed they had killed 8 "rebels and kidnappers" successful Mazar-e Sharif, the Balkh capital. They did not, however, specify which "rebel" radical these individuals were allegedly affiliated to.

The Taliban were ousted arsenic Afghanistan's rulers successful 2001 - the militant Islamist radical swept backmost to powerfulness successful August 2021 aft US-led forces pulled out.