Suicide Bombing at Taliban Seminary Kills Prominent Cleric and Others, Raising Regional Tensions
A devastating suicide bombing ripped through a prominent Taliban seminary in Pakistan on Friday, February 28th, claiming the lives of at least seven individuals, including the suicide bomber and the seminary’s director, Maulana Hamid Ul-Haq. The attack, which occurred at the historic Darul Uloom Haqqania madrassa in Akora Khattak, located approximately 110 kilometers northwest of Islamabad, also left sixteen people injured, with three reported to be in critical condition, according to police officials. Among the deceased was an Afghan national.
The Darul Uloom Haqqania, often referred to as the "university of jihad," holds immense significance within both Pakistani and Afghan Taliban circles. Its alumni include several high-ranking leaders of the movement, and the institution has historically served as a breeding ground for ultraconservative interpretations of Islam and militant ideologies. The seminary’s close ties to the Taliban have earned it both notoriety and influence in the region.
According to local police chief Abdul Rasheed, initial investigations pointed towards a suicide attack. Police officer Noor Ali Khan described a "powerful explosion" that occurred during the weekly Friday prayers, a time when the madrassa is typically filled with hundreds of students. The blast originated near the front row, close to where the imam was leading the prayers. While the immediate aftermath remained chaotic, authorities were working to determine whether the congregation was still assembled or had begun to disperse when the explosion occurred.
The attack has drawn widespread condemnation, with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi denouncing it as a "terrorist act." As of yet, no group has claimed responsibility for the bombing. However, Abdul Mateen Qani, the spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior in Kabul, issued a statement strongly condemning the attack and attributing it to the Islamic State (IS).
This accusation underscores the growing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, who have been engaged in a protracted blame game, each accusing the other of harboring "terrorist" groups intent on destabilizing the region. Specifically, Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan of providing safe haven to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, while Afghanistan has alleged that Pakistan supports the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), the regional affiliate of the Islamic State group.
The Darul Uloom Haqqania’s history is deeply intertwined with the rise of the Taliban. Its former director, Sami Ul-Haq, who was succeeded by his son, openly boasted of advising Mullah Omar, the founder of the Taliban. This close relationship earned him the moniker "father of the Taliban." In the 1990s, Sami Ul-Haq dispatched students from the Haqqania madrassa to fight alongside the Taliban as they seized power in Kabul.
Following the Taliban’s resurgence in 2021, the Darul Uloom Haqqania once again voiced its support for the group’s fighters as they advanced on Kabul, effectively dismantling the internationally-backed Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. The seminary’s unwavering support for the Taliban has cemented its reputation as a vital ideological and logistical hub for the movement.
The Haqqani network, infamous for its suicide bombing campaigns during the Afghan insurgency, derives its name from the madrassa, where its founder and subsequent leaders studied. While representatives of the Haqqani network within the current Taliban government in Afghanistan are often perceived as more pragmatic than hardliners aligned with the Taliban’s supreme leader, Emir Haibatullah Akhundzada, the network’s legacy of violence continues to cast a long shadow. Former suicide bombers associated with the Haqqani network now hold positions of authority, tasked with securing public buildings and manning checkpoints.
Moreover, several Pakistani extremists who have carried out attacks within Pakistan itself have had connections to the Darul Uloom Haqqania. Notably, the assassin of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was killed in 2007, reportedly had links to the madrassa.
The rise of radical madrassas in Pakistan can be traced back to the 1980s, when they received substantial funding as they served as recruiting grounds for the mujahideen fighting against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. This effort was supported by the United States and Saudi Arabia. Since then, these madrassas have maintained close ties with Pakistani intelligence agencies, adding another layer of complexity to the region’s security landscape.
The bombing at the Darul Uloom Haqqania madrassa is a stark reminder of the persistent threat of terrorism in the region and the ongoing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. It also highlights the complex and often contradictory roles played by religious institutions in fostering both education and extremism. The attack is likely to further exacerbate existing mistrust and fuel the cycle of accusations and recriminations between the two neighboring countries, potentially destabilizing the entire region. The investigation into the attack is ongoing, and authorities are working to identify the perpetrators and uncover the motives behind this devastating act of violence. The incident is likely to prompt renewed scrutiny of the role of madrassas in promoting extremism and the need for greater oversight and regulation to prevent future tragedies.
