A governor of Afghanistan's Balkh province, who was leading the Taliban's fight against Daesh terrorists, was killed in a bomb blast on Thursday, police said.
A police spokesperson confirmed Balkh governor Mawlawi Mohammad Dawood Muzamil's death, saying he lost his life after a bomb blast ripped through his office in the morning.
"Today, around 9 a.m., a blast took place on the second floor of the Governor's office. Due to the blast (governor) Mawlawi Mohammad Dawood Muzamil has been killed with two civilians," spokesperson Mohammed Asif Waziri stated.
Subsequently, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that the Governor was "martyred in an explosion by the enemies of Islam."
Muzamil was one of the senior-most Taliban officials killed in a terrorist incident since the Islamic group stormed to power in Kabul in August 2021.
The governor's death has come amid a deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, with Daesh's local arm launching continuous attacks across cities and regions in the country.
In addition to carrying out attacks on civilian infrastructure, members of Daesh have targeted foreigners, including diplomatic missions in Afghanistan.
Balkh is among the worst-terror hit provinces in Afghanistan with Daesh-linked attacks taking place with alarming regularity.
In December, seven people were killed in a roadside bomb attack in Balkh's Mazar-e-Sharif city.
Before that a series of explosions rocked the city, killing four persons in a mosque in October while nine others lost their lives in a terrorist strike in May last year.
In January 2023, a suicide bomber detonated himself in front of the Afghan Foreign ministry building in Kabul, killing 10 people.
*The Taliban is under UN sanctions over terrorist activities.
**Daesh Khorasan is a terrorist group banned in many nations, including Russia.