Taliban minister’s killing raises concerns about IS terror group’s expansion

Taliban Humvees are seen parked during the funeral ceremony of Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani, the minister for refugees and repatriation, in Sarana, Afghanistan, on Dec. 12, 2024. FILE - Pakistani army troops patrol along the border with Afghanistan at Big Ben post in Khyber district, Pakistan, on Aug. 3, 2021.

The recent assassination of a Taliban minister in Afghanistan by a local Islamic State offshoot has raised concerns about the terrorist network's expansion in the region, while signifying an escalation of the terror group’s conflict with the country’s de facto Taliban leaders.