Taliban official Zabihullah Amiri killed in Badakhshan attack claimed by Islamic State Khorasan

Zabihullah Amiri Badakhshan Islamic State Khorasan Taliban targeted killing

Two gunmen opened fire on Zabihullah Amiri, the Taliban's director of information and culture for Badakhshan province, as he travelled from his home to his office near the provincial capital Faizabad. Security guards responded, killing one attacker and capturing the other.

The Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS‑K) issued a statement claiming responsibility, saying its fighters targeted the Taliban commander. Afghanistan's Ministry of Information and Culture confirmed the details and noted that Amiri was the nephew of the governor of Helmand province.

The killing adds to a series of high‑profile attacks on Taliban officials since the group took power in 2021, including the December 2024 suicide bombing that killed refugee minister Khalil Haqqani and a June 2023 car bomb that killed Badakhshan's deputy governor Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi.

Entities

Afghanistan Ministry of Information and Culture · Badakhshan Province · Faizabad · Islamic State Khorasan Province · Taliban · Zabihullah Amiri

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 6 SOURCES] Islamic State Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for the attack. hn24.hnonline.sk · srnnews.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.dnoticias.pt · www.topky.sk · +1 more
[● 6 SOURCES] The attack follows previous Taliban-targeted killings, including the December 2024 suicide bombing that killed refugee minister Khalil Haqqani. hn24.hnonline.sk · srnnews.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.dnoticias.pt · www.topky.sk · +1 more
[● 6 SOURCES] Zabihullah Amiri was the director of information and culture for the Taliban in Badakhshan. hn24.hnonline.sk · srnnews.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.dnoticias.pt · www.topky.sk · +1 more
[● 6 SOURCES] Two gunmen shot Zabihullah Amiri in Badakhshan province, Afghanistan. hn24.hnonline.sk · srnnews.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.dnoticias.pt · www.topky.sk · +1 more
[● 6 SOURCES] One attacker was killed and the second was captured by security guards. hn24.hnonline.sk · srnnews.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.dnoticias.pt · www.topky.sk · +1 more
[● 6 SOURCES] Amiri was killed while traveling from his home to his office near Faizabad. hn24.hnonline.sk · srnnews.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.dnoticias.pt · www.topky.sk · +1 more
[● 6 SOURCES] Afghanistan's Ministry of Information and Culture confirmed the incident. hn24.hnonline.sk · srnnews.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.dnoticias.pt · www.topky.sk · +1 more
[● 6 SOURCES] Amiri was the nephew of the governor of Helmand province. hn24.hnonline.sk · srnnews.com · ca.news.yahoo.com · www.dnoticias.pt · www.topky.sk · +1 more