A bombing in Kabul, Afghanistan, resulted in the death of the mayor of Faizabad, Habib-ur-Rahman Mansour, on Thursday. Multiple sources, including hospitals and city officials, confirmed the incident to AFP. Mansour’s vehicle was targeted by an explosive device, according to a nurse at Badakhshan provincial hospital who chose to remain anonymous. An employee from the local municipality also stated that the mayor was killed by a planted bomb near their workplace, though no group has claimed responsibility yet.
This attack follows a recent assassination in the same region—a shooting that killed Zabihullah Amiri, the head of the information and culture department in Badakhshan, just under three weeks prior. The militant group Daesh-Khorasan claimed responsibility for that shooting.
Badakhshan province, traditionally remote, has grown increasingly strategic due to its mineral deposits. The Taliban government has prioritized expanding mining activities since regaining power five years ago. Clashes have also occurred in the area, notably in May, when security forces tried to destroy opium poppy fields, resulting in the deaths of two individuals, including a teenager.
Despite Taliban promises to restore stability, sporadic violence continues throughout Afghanistan. The regional branch of Daesh has taken credit for several attacks, including a January bombing at a Chinese restaurant in central Kabul that killed at least seven people. They also claimed responsibility for a December 2024 suicide bombing in Kabul that killed Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani, a refugees minister.