Taliban Governor Of Afghanistan's Balkh Province Killed In Blast

• Image Credit: Google

• Mar 9, 2023 | Dhupali Das

Just before his death, Muzamil met two deputy prime ministers and other top Kabul officials who were in Balkh to review a major irrigation project...

Digital Desk: The governor of Taliban-ruled Afghanistan's Balkh province, Mawlawi Mohammad Dawood Muzamil, was killed in a blast along with two others at his office on Thursday. Muzamil is the most senior official to be killed since the Taliban regained control in 2021.

A number of others are reported to have been injured. The BBC reported that some local reports claimed that it was a suicide attack.

Just before his death, Muzamil met two deputy prime ministers and other top Kabul officials who were in Balkh to review a major irrigation project in northern Afghanistan, reported Al Arabiya. 

"Today around 9 am a blast took place inside the second floor of the governor's office, as a result (governor) Mawlawi Mohammad Dawood Muzamil has been killed with two civilians," Mohammed Asif Waziri, a Balkh's police spokesperson said to the media. 

The cause of the explosion is still unknown. Muzamil was the governor of the eastern province of Nangarhar before being transferred to Balkh last year, where he led the battle against Islamic State jihadists.

In recent months, the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a number of explosions in Afghanistan, some of which targeted Taliban security troops and other civilian facilities.

Waziri stated that an investigation into the matter was going on and that more information would be released as the investigation progressed.

In January, a suicide bombing outside Kabul's Foreign Ministry killed at least ten people. The responsibility for the attack was claimed by ISIS.

A day earlier, eight "rebels and kidnappers" were allegedly killed in Mazar-e Sharif, according to provincial Taliban officials. However, they did not specify which "rebel" group these people were supposedly associated with, according to the BBC.