Taliban announce death of founder of Haqqani militant network

Afghanistan’s Taliban militant group says the founder of its affiliated Haqqani militant network based in Pakistan has died after a long illness.

Afghanistan’s Taliban militant group says the founder of its affiliated Haqqani militant network based in Pakistan has died after a long illness.

In a statement posted on Twitter, the Taliban announced the death of Jalaluddin Haqqani, thought to be in his 70s or 80s, without specifying where or when it occurred.

Haqqani “was ill and bedridden for the past several years,” the statement read, adding that his “ideology and methodology continue to endure.”

The Haqqani network operates on both the Pakistani and Afghan side of the border. It has been behind some deadly attacks against civilians, security forces and NATO forces in the Afghan capital over the past decade.

The militants were blamed for the devastating truck bomb in the heart of Kabul in May 2017 that killed around 150 people — though the Haqqani network later denied any involvement.