Afghanistan blast: Taliban governor killed in his office

The Taliban governor of Afghanistan’s northern Balkh province has been killed in an explosion in his office. Mohammad Dawood Muzammil is the most senior official to be killed since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Violence has since decreased sharply, but prominent pro-Taliban figures and others have been killed in a string of attacks, many claimed by Islamic State. Local police said the cause of the latest blast was unclear. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.