Son of Taliban leader commits suicide bombing in Afghanistan

On July 20, the son of Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada blew himself up in Afghanistan's southern province of Helmand. It is reported by Reuters with reference to the representative of the movement.

23-year-old Abdur Rahman drove a car with explosives into a military base in the city of Girishk.

How many people were injured in the attack, Reuters did not specify. An Afghan official said the authorities were investigating the incident and could not yet confirm Rahman's death.

A senior Taliban member told the news agency that Rahman joined the suicide ranks even before his father took over the movement in 2016.

On July 22, the AFP news agency reported that 16 (according to other sources, 12) police officers were killed in the vicinity of Girishka the day before as a result of an erroneous American airstrike. NATO representatives confirmed this information and expressed their condolences to the families of the victims.

• Much of Helmand province is under Taliban control. According to Reuters, fighting in the region, which grows a significant part of the Afghan opium poppy, has intensified in recent days after the end of the harvest season.
• Taliban and Islamic State terrorists regularly carry out terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, killing dozens of people. Often the attacks are directed at the Afghan military, who are cooperating in the fight against militants with the United States.