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A second Taliban official is killed in attack in Afghanistan, as the takeover anniversary nears
The blast killed a senior Taliban mayor and left one attacker dead and another captured, officials said, amid a string of attacks in Badakhshan.
On Thursday, Badakhshan mayor Rahman Mansoor was killed in a vehicle explosion in the provincial capital of Faizabad, the Interior Ministry said, without providing further details on the attack.
This incident is the second attack on a high-ranking Taliban official in the region in two weeks. Two weeks ago, gunmen killed Zabihullah Amiri, the director of information and culture, as he traveled toward Faizabad.
Targeted killings of high-ranking Taliban officials remain rare, though they have occurred since the group seized power. Authorities provided no information regarding the motive for the attacks.
Previous attacks include the 2023 killing of Badakhshan deputy governor Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi and the 2024 death of refugee minister Khalil Haqqani, uncle of Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.
The Taliban prepares to mark the fifth anniversary of their return to power on Aug. 15, 2021, following the withdrawal of NATO forces, amid ongoing security challenges.