Assassination of the governor of Balkh province in a suicide attack in Afghanistan
The governor of northern Afghanistan’s Balkh province, Maulvi Mohammad Daud Muzammil, a Taliban commander, has been killed by a suicide bomber targeting his office.
“An explosion targeted the office of the governor of Balkh province in the north of the country, killing Maulvi Mohammad Dawood Muzammil, governor of Balkh province,” Afghan newspaper Ettela’at reported on its official website.
“The explosion was caused by a suicide attack,” a well-informed source told the newspaper, requesting anonymity. “The suicide bomber came to the second house of the Taliban governor’s office in Balkh and detonated the materials he was carrying.”
The official gave no details on casualties in the blast in the northern Afghan province of Balkh.
The newspaper cited medical sources in Balkh province as saying that “30 wounded people were transferred to hospitals as a result of the explosion.”
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. “The blast took place during an administrative meeting of the local government in Balkh province,” Mohamed Asif Waziri, spokesman for the Balkh security command, told Talaat News.
“The explosion killed the governor of Balkh province,” Asif Waziri said.
Two civilians were killed in the blast, Mohammad Asif Waziri said.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban government, confirmed Muzammil’s death in the blast.
Muzammil was a prominent Taliban commander during the group’s war with the former Afghan government and international forces in the country.
After the Taliban took over Afghanistan, Muzammil was the governor of Nangarhar province, who led the war against ISIS.
After some time he was appointed deputy interior minister by order of the Taliban leader, but five months ago his responsibility changed and he became governor of Balkh province.
He was the first high-ranking Taliban official to be killed after seizing power in Afghanistan in mid-August 2021.
“On Thursday morning, an explosion occurred in Area Five in Kabul City.”
The blast took place in the Qambarah intersection in Kabul city and “was caused by improvised explosive devices planted in a truck,” said Khalid Zadran, spokesman for the Kabul security command. “No injuries were reported.”
