Latest news with #UniversityofJihad
Daily Tribune
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
Suicide blast at Taliban religious school in Pakistan kills six
A suicide attack at an Islamic religious school in Pakistan known as the 'University of Jihad' -- where key Taliban leaders have studied -- killed six people yesterday, police said. Among those who died was Hamid ul Haq Haqqani, the head of the Dar-ul-Uloom Haqqania school, in Akora Khattak, about 60 kilometres (35 miles) east of Peshawar. 'Initial reports suggest the blast occurred after Friday prayers as people were gathering to greet Hamid ul Haq. It appears to be a suicide attack,' Abdul Rasheed, the district police chief, told AFP. The explosion left six dead including the suicide bomber and 16 injured, three of whom are in a critical condition, Rasheed said, adding that an Afghan national is among the dead. Rasheed said that Haqqani, the head of a local right-wing Islamist party, appeared to be the target of the bomber. He was the son of Sami ul Haq Haqqani, who was assassinated in 2018 and known as the 'father of the Taliban' for teaching the insurgent group's founder Mullah Omar at the same religious school. The explosion happened as people gathered for weekly Friday prayers, the most important day of the week. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and interior minister Mohsin Naqvi condemned the incident as a 'terrorist' act. The sprawling campus in Pakistan's Akora Khattak is home to roughly 4,000 students who are fed, clothed and educated for free. It became known as the 'University of Jihad' for its fiery ideology and the number of Taliban fighters it has produced. Omar, who led an insurgency against the United States and NATO troops in Afghanistan before his death in 2013, graduated from the school along with Jalaluddin Haqqani, the founder of the feared Haqqani network which took its name from the school. The Haqqani network is responsible for some of the worst attacks in Afghanistan. Jalaluddin Haqqani was the father of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the current interior minister for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, himself also a graduate of the school. Abdul Mateen Qani, the spokesman for the interior ministry in Kabul, said the government 'strongly condemned the attack' and blamed it on the jihadist Islamic State group. IS, a rival of the Taliban movement but with which it shares a similar hardline Islamic ideology, has been responsible for several attacks against the Taliban government since it retook power in 2021. No group has yet claimed the bombing. Incubators for militancy The school has sat at the crossroads of regional militant violence for years, educating many Pakistanis and Afghan refugees -- some of whom returned home to wage war against the Russians and Americans or preach jihad. For decades, Pakistani 'madrassas' have served as incubators for militancy, indoctrinating tens of thousands of refugees who have few other options for education than the fiery lectures from hardline clerics. Rather than crack down on the institutions, successive governments in Islamabad -- which rely on the support of Islamist parties in coalition governments -- have largely given the schools a free hand.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Suicide bombing mastermind killed in suicide attack
A split in Afghanistan's Taliban government has violently spilled into Pakistan after a suicide bombing mastermind was himself killed in a suicide attack. Hamid ul Haq Haqqani died in a blast at his Dar-ul-Uloom Haqqania school – dubbed the 'University of Jihad'– in northern Pakistan on Friday, shortly after prayers had concluded. At least six others were killed in the attack, with 20 so far reported injured, police said. Taliban sources told The Telegraph that the cleric was likely another casualty of an internal power struggle that has brought the group to the brink of civil war. He had days earlier urged the group's members in both countries to pledge allegiance to Sirajuddin Haqqani, Afghanistan's interior minister, over Haibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader, who is facing an internal revolt over women's rights, the sources added. Hamid ul Haq Haqqani was the son of Sami ul Haq Haqqani, who was assassinated in 2018 and known as the 'father of the Taliban' for teaching the insurgent group's founder Mullah Omar at the Dar-ul-Uloom school. The school's sprawling campus in Pakistan's Akora Khattak is home to around 4,000 students who are fed, clothed and educated for free. Rahmatullah Nabil, former director of Afghanistan's national directorate of security said: 'This is a human being in the guise of the devil. He and his father were both merchants of death.' The cleric Haqqani had close ties to the Haqqani network in Afghanistan, which is at odds with the Taliban supreme leader. A Haqqani network commander earlier this month ordered the arrest of an elderly British couple in Afghanistan, in what is thought to have been a political move related to a struggle between factions loyal to the supreme leader Akhundzada and the interior minister Haqqani. The interior ministry, responsible for detentions and potential releases, is controlled by the Haqqani network, which appeared to engineer the situation to challenge the establishment in Kandahar, where the supreme leader is based. Tensions are mounting between the group and top Taliban leaders in Kandahar, who are battling a rebellion over the regime's crackdown on women's rights. A Taliban official in Kandahar said: 'A week ago, at the same school, he [Hamid ul Haq Haqqani] gave a major speech praising Sirajuddin [Haqqani], urging all Taliban members in both Afghanistan and Pakistan to support him over the supreme Mullah.' He added: 'He described [Sirajuddin] Haqqani as a true fighter who deserves more. These remarks did not sit well with many here, and it is possible that someone opposed to Sirajuddin carried out the attack.' While the Taliban initially presented a unified front during their takeover of Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US and allied forces in 2021, divisions within the leadership have become increasingly apparent. Ahmad Saeedi, an Afghan analyst, said the attack in Pakistan would prompt the Haqqani network to retaliate against figures close to supreme leader Akhundzada. He said: 'Hamid ul Haq was a close friend of Sirajuddin and his father and a key pillar of this faction within the Taliban – now, they will seek to strike back.' Abdul Mateen Qani, the spokesman for the interior ministry in Kabul, said the government 'strongly condemned the attack' and blamed the Islamic State. Isis, a rival of the Taliban but with which it shares a similar hardline Islamic ideology, has been responsible for several attacks against the Taliban government since it retook power in 2021. Omar Samad, former Afghan ambassador to Canada and France and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said internal divisions within the Taliban could create opportunities for other groups to exploit the situation and advance their own interests. He said: 'It's now the Pakistani government's responsibility to investigate the attack and reveal who was behind it.' Following the killing of Sirajuddin Haqqani's uncle, the Taliban's minister for refugees, in Kabul last year, some blamed rival factions within the group for his death. Mr Samad said: 'Today's attack being a continuation of what happened last year is one of the possible scenarios.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Suicide bombing mastermind killed in suicide attack
A split in Afghanistan 's Taliban government has violently spilled into Pakistan after a suicide bombing mastermind was himself killed in a suicide attack. Hamid ul Haq Haqqani died in a blast at his Dar-ul-Uloom Haqqania school – dubbed the 'University of Jihad'– in northern Pakistan on Friday, shortly after prayers had concluded. At least six others were killed in the attack, with 20 so far reported injured, police said. Taliban sources told The Telegraph that the cleric was likely another casualty of an internal power struggle that has brought the group to the brink of civil war. He had days earlier urged the group's members in both countries to pledge allegiance to Sirajuddin Haqqani, Afghanistan's interior minister, over Haibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader, who is facing an internal revolt over women's rights, the sources added. Hamid ul Haq Haqqani was the son of Sami ul Haq Haqqani, who was assassinated in 2018 and known as the 'father of the Taliban' for teaching the insurgent group's founder Mullah Omar at the Dar-ul-Uloom school. The school's sprawling campus in Pakistan's Akora Khattak is home to around 4,000 students who are fed, clothed and educated for free. Rahmatullah Nabil, former director of Afghanistan's national directorate of security said: 'This is a human being in the guise of the devil. He and his father were both merchants of death.' The cleric Haqqani had close ties to the Haqqani network in Afghanistan, which is at odds with the Taliban supreme leader. A Haqqani network commander earlier this month ordered the arrest of an elderly British couple in Afghanistan, in what is thought to have been a political move related to a struggle between factions loyal to the supreme leader Akhundzada and the interior minister Haqqani. The interior ministry, responsible for detentions and potential releases, is controlled by the Haqqani network, which appeared to engineer the situation to challenge the establishment in Kandahar, where the supreme leader is based. Tensions are mounting between the group and top Taliban leaders in Kandahar, who are battling a rebellion over the regime's crackdown on women's rights. A Taliban official in Kandahar said: 'A week ago, at the same school, he [Hamid ul Haq Haqqani] gave a major speech praising Sirajuddin [Haqqani], urging all Taliban members in both Afghanistan and Pakistan to support him over the supreme Mullah.' He added: 'He described [Sirajuddin] Haqqani as a true fighter who deserves more. These remarks did not sit well with many here, and it is possible that someone opposed to Sirajuddin carried out the attack.' While the Taliban initially presented a unified front during their takeover of Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US and allied forces in 2021, divisions within the leadership have become increasingly apparent. Ahmad Saeedi, an Afghan analyst, said the attack in Pakistan would prompt the Haqqani network to retaliate against figures close to supreme leader Akhundzada. He said: 'Hamid ul Haq was a close friend of Sirajuddin and his father and a key pillar of this faction within the Taliban – now, they will seek to strike back.' Abdul Mateen Qani, the spokesman for the interior ministry in Kabul, said the government 'strongly condemned the attack' and blamed the Islamic State. Isis, a rival of the Taliban but with which it shares a similar hardline Islamic ideology, has been responsible for several attacks against the Taliban government since it retook power in 2021. Omar Samad, former Afghan ambassador to Canada and France and a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, said internal divisions within the Taliban could create opportunities for other groups to exploit the situation and advance their own interests. He said: 'It's now the Pakistani government's responsibility to investigate the attack and reveal who was behind it.' Following the killing of Sirajuddin Haqqani's uncle, the Taliban's minister for refugees, in Kabul last year, some blamed rival factions within the group for his death. Mr Samad said: 'Today's attack being a continuation of what happened last year is one of the possible scenarios.'
BBC News
28-02-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Pakistan: Six killed in blast at mosque dubbed 'University of Jihad'
At least six people have been killed in a suicide attack at an Islamic seminary in northern Pakistan that has been described as the "University of Jihad".The blast happened at the mosque within the Darul Uloom Haqqania, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 55km (34 miles) from the northern city of Hamid ul-Haq, a prominent cleric and the influential head of the school, is among the dead. Police said more than 10 other people had been seminary has long been associated with the Taliban since several of its members, including the group's founder Mullah Omar, trained there. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack, which came ahead of the start of the holy month of explosion occurred after Friday prayers, according to local son, Khuzaima Sami, told the BBC that hundreds were present in the main hall at the time of the blast and that he feared there would be many investigation has been launched into the attack."Initial reports suggest the blast occurred after Friday prayers as people were gathering to greet Hamid ul-Haq," Abdul Rasheed, the district police chief, told the AFP news seminary - where clerics are taught - also known as a madrassa, is considered one of the region's most renowned religious educational institutions and is an important academic centre of the Deoband school of has been referred to as the "University of Jihad" due to its notable alumni, including Jalaluddin Haqqani, the founder of the militant Haqqani Network, and his son Sirajuddin men played key roles in leading the Taliban's insurgency, first against Soviet forces and later against US and Nato forces, in 57, was the son of the influential Pakistani cleric Maulana Sami ul-Haq, widely known as the "Father of the Taliban".He became the seminary's vice-chancellor after his father's assassination in 2018, and the head of a faction of the religious Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) political also served as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from 2002 to father had longstanding ties with the Afghan Taliban's leadership, including Mullah was considered an influential figure in facilitating negotiations between the Taliban and the Pakistani their strong connections with the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban, neither Haq nor his father were directly involved in any anti-state they were often seen as intermediaries between Pakistan and the President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif condemned the attack, as did the Pakistani group described Haq as a "preacher of truth, a compassionate teacher, and a fearless advocate for the stability of madrassas".
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Suicide blast at Taliban religious school in Pakistan kills 4
A suicide attack at an Islamic religious school in Pakistan known as the "University of Jihad" -- where key Taliban leaders have studied -- killed four people on Friday, police said. Among those who died was Hamid ul Haq Haqqani, the head of the Dar-ul-Uloom Haqqania school, in Akora Khattak, about 60 kilometres (35 miles) east of Peshawar. "Initial reports suggest the blast occurred after Friday prayers as people were gathering to greet Hamid ul Haq. It appears to be a suicide attack," Abdul Rasheed, the district police chief, told AFP, adding that four people were killed and 13 wounded in the blast. Rasheed said that Haqqani, the head of a local rightwing Islamist party, appeared to be the target of the bomber. He was the son of Sami ul Haq Haqqani, who was assassinated in 2018 and known as the "father of the Taliban" for teaching the insurgent group's founder Mullah Omar at the same religious school. The explosion happened as people gathered for weekly Friday prayers, the most important day of the week. The sprawling campus in Pakistan's Akora Khattak is home to roughly 4,000 students who are fed, clothed and educated for free. It became known as the "University of Jihad" for its fiery ideology and the number of Taliban fighters it has produced. Omar, who led an insurgency against the United States and NATO troops in Afghanistan before his death in 2013, graduated from the school along with Jalaluddin Haqqani, the founder of the feared Haqqani network which took its name from the school. The Haqqani network is responsible for some of the worst attacks in Afghanistan. Jalaluddin Haqqani was the father of Sirajuddin Haqqani, the current interior minister for the Taliban government in Afghanistan, himself also a student of the school. Abdul Mateen Qani, the spokesman for the interior ministry in Kabul, said the government "strongly condemn the attack" and blamed it on the jihadist Islamic State group. IS, a rival of the Taliban movement but with which it shares a similar hardline Islamic ideology, has been responsible for several attacks against the Taliban government since it retook power in 2021. No group has yet claimed the bombing. - Incubators for militancy - The school has sat at the crossroads of regional militant violence for years, educating many Pakistanis and Afghan refugees -- some of whom returned home to wage war against the Russians and Americans or preach jihad. For decades, Pakistani madrassas have served as incubators for militancy, indoctrinating tens of thousands of refugees who have few other options for education than the fire-breathing lectures from hardline clerics. Rather than crack down on the institutions, successive governments in Islamabad -- which rely on the support of Islamist parties in coalition governments -- have largely given the madrassas a free hand. The Taliban surged back to power in Kabul in August 2021 after foreign forces withdrew and the former government collapsed. Militancy has since rebounded in the border regions with Afghanistan. Last year was the deadliest in a decade for Pakistan, with a surge in attacks that killed more than 1,600 people, according to Islamabad-based analysis group the Center for Research and Security Studies. Islamabad accuses Kabul's rulers of failing to root out militants sheltering on Afghan soil as they prepare to stage assaults on Pakistan, a charge the Taliban government denies. la/ecl/dhc
