Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi, the acting governor of an Afghan province, was killed by a suicide bomber on Tuesday, just months after a similar attack claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group killed the region’s police chief.
Since the Taliban took power in August 2021, ending their twenty-year rebellion against the US-backed government, security in the region has significantly improved.
However, IS remains a significant threat.
The suicide bomber drove an explosive-laden car into Ahmadi’s vehicle in Faizabad, the capital of northern Badakhshan.
Ahmadi was acting governor after previously serving as deputy governor.
The attack targeted Ahmadi’s vehicle, according to Muazuddin Ahmadi, the province’s head of culture and information.
The driver was killed in the attack, and six others were injured. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
IS claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed the provincial police chief in December.
In April of the previous year, another bomb attack killed the head of the mining department.
Although both the IS and the Taliban adhere to a strict Sunni Islamist ideology, their objectives are distinct.
The Islamic State seeks to establish a global caliphate, whereas the Taliban seeks to rule an independent Afghanistan.
