Afghanistan: Taliban Governor Killed In Balkh Suicide Blast

A bomb blast in Afghanistan’s Balkh province has killed three people, including its Taliban governor.

Police spokesman Asif Waziri said on Thursday; “Two people, including Mohammad Dawood Muzammil, the governor of Balkh, have been killed in an explosion this morning."

Waziri said the blast happened on the second floor of his office in the provincial capital of Mazar-i-Sharif.

He added; “It was a suicide attack. We don’t have information as to how the suicide bomber reached the office of the governor."

The killing of Muzammil came a day after he met top government officials visiting from capital Kabul.

The killing also makes Muzammil one of the highest-ranking figures to be killed since the Taliban took power in 2021.

Muzammil was initially appointed governor of the eastern province of Nangarhar, where he led the fight against ISIL terrorists before being moved to Balkh last year.

Several attacks have rocked the country and in January, a suicide bomber killed at least 10 people when he blew himself up near the foreign ministry in Kabul.