By Neelam Rahim

A prominent Taliban religious leader, Sheikh Rahimullah Haqqani, has been killed in a bombing attack at a seminary in Kabul.

Speaking to Radio Islam International Independent Political analyst with a particular focus on Afghanistan, Hashmatullah Muslih said Sheikh Rahimullah was the main religious teacher of the Taliban and head of the Haqqani madrassah. The Haqqani madrassah has produced many Taliban fighters and scholars. His assassination was a big blow to the Taliban education established and indoctrination program.

He says Sheikh Rahimullah Haqqani was not related to the Haqqani network or family, although some media has tied him to the Haqqani network because of his name. He was the head of the Haqqani madrassah, which is just the name of the madrassah.

He added that the Taliban have been very harsh towards anyone who sympathises, supports or actively fights for the Islamic estate in Afghanistan.

According to Muslih, the Taliban do not control the airspace of Afghanistan, nor do they have a functioning air force. The Taliban liberated Afghanistan soil from the Americans but did not control the Afghanistan air space. The Americans carried out the killing of Ayman Al Zawahiri. Still, more importantly, the questions that stand are who gave up his position and how the Americans discovered that Ayman Zawahiri would be in that particular house.

He says he has help from inside Afghanistan. Since the assassination of Zawahiri and the other assassinations carried out by the Islamic State, the Taliban leadership have taken extreme measures to protect themselves.

In terms of overall security, he added that Afghanistan is calm, and there is peace in many provinces.

Listen to the full interview on Radio Islam’s podcast below.