The Taliban governor of Afghanistan’s Balkh province was killed in a blast at his office on Thursday, police said.
“Two people, including Mohammad Dawood Muzammil, the governor of Balkh, have been killed in an explosion this morning,” the province’s police spokesman Asif Waziri told reporters. He said it was unclear what caused the blast.
According to international media reports, the incident occurred at around 9:30 am when the governor arrived at his office from home.
"Today around 9am a blast took place inside the second floor of the governor's office, due to the blast (governor) Mawlawi Mohammad Dawood Muzamil has been killed with two civilians," said Mohammed Asif Waziri, Balkh's police spokesperson.
He said police were investigating and would provide more details once they became clear.
The cause of the blast was not immediately known. The incident marks one of the most senior officials confirmed dead since the Taliban took over the country in 2021.
The Islamic State has claimed a series of deadly attacks in Afghanistan in recent months, some on civilian targets and others on Taliban security forces.
