Faizabad Mayor Killed in Bomb Blast in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan

Kabul (Terror Monitor) — The mayor of Faizabad, the capital of Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province, was killed in a bomb blast on Thursday, according to a provincial official.

The official said Habib ur Rahman Mansour was traveling in his vehicle when a magnetic bomb attached to the vehicle exploded at around 2 p.m. local time. The blast killed the mayor and wounded one of his associates.

The Taliban-opposition National Resistance Front (NRF) claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a statement posted on X, the NRF claimed that its fighters targeted Mansour’s vehicle within approximately 100 meters of the provincial governor’s compound in Faizabad.

The National Resistance Front is led by Ahmad Massoud, the son of the late Afghan resistance commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, who was a prominent leader of the Northern Alliance.

The NRF has carried out attacks against Taliban forces and officials in several parts of Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.

The killing of Mansour adds to security concerns in Badakhshan, where Taliban officials have previously been targeted in attacks. The province has also witnessed clashes and militant activity involving groups opposed to Taliban rule.

No further details were immediately available regarding the circumstances of the bombing or the condition of the wounded associate.

The attack comes amid continued efforts by the Taliban authorities to maintain security across Afghanistan, while armed opposition groups continue to claim attacks against Taliban officials and security personnel.