A local affiliate of the Islamic State has asserted involvement in an unusual lethal assault against a Taliban leader in Afghanistan’s northeastern region. According to the SITE Intelligence Group, the Islamic State-Khorasan faction confirmed its role in the incident that occurred on Tuesday.
Zabihullah Amiri, who served as the director of information and culture in Badakhshan, was fatally wounded by gunfire while traveling toward the provincial hub of Faizabad. The militant organization stated that its fighters utilized machine guns to eliminate the official and one of his security personnel. Amiri was identified as the nephew of the governor of Helmand province, Amanuddin Mansur.
In response, the national information and culture ministry reported that one attacker died during the confrontation, and a second individual was apprehended. The ministry issued a statement characterizing the incident as a cowardly act and maintained that such violence would not diminish their governing authority. Although the Taliban has focused on stabilizing the nation since taking control in 2021, sporadic insurgent violence persists. The Islamic State-Khorasan has previously claimed credit for high-profile incidents, such as the January attack on a Kabul restaurant and the December 2024 suicide bombing that resulted in the death of Minister Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani.
