Published: Less than 20 min ago
A high-ranking religious leader with links to the Taliban has been killed in a suicide attack in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul.
Rahimullah Haqqani has made himself known in Afghanistan as a critic of the terrorist organization IS and had – contrary to the Taliban’s ideology – recently given his support to girls being allowed to go to school.
– There is nothing in Sharia (the Islamic religious rules) that justifies the idea that education for girls should not be allowed. Not at all, he told the BBC in May.
IS has claimed responsibility for the attack, in which three more people were injured.
According to the Taliban, Rahimullah Haqqani had no official role in the movement, but was influential and had been a teacher to several Taliban.
After taking power in Afghanistan a year ago, the Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on girls’ schooling in the country.