UN condemns suicide attack on Afghan minister; tight security for funeral

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan has condemned an attack claimed by the Daesh terror group that killed the country's acting refugee minister and several others.

"There can be no place for terrorism in the quest for stability," the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on X on Thursday, offering condolences to the victims' families.

The Taliban administration's Minister for Refugees and Repatriation, Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani, was killed on Wednesday afternoon in a suicide bombing at the ministry's offices in the capital Kabul.

The European Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation also condemned the attack, along with Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Daesh claimed responsibility for the bombing saying that Haqqani was the primary target of the attack.

'Cowardly attack'

Taliban administration authorities had already blamed Daesh for the "cowardly attack" - the first targeting a minister since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani's funeral was set for Thursday at 2 pm (0930 GMT) in Paktia province, south of Kabul, which is the heartland of the Haqqani family.

Tight security measures were in place for the funeral.

A video purportedly from the scene of the funeral showed a vast but empty patch of land with a row of guards and armoured vehicles on one side. A fire truck is on standby.