Suicide Attack At Pakistan’s ‘University Of Jihad’ Kills Four, Including Prominent Cleric

A suicide attack at the Dar-ul-Uloom Haqqania religious school in Akora Khattak, Pakistan, killed four people, including the institution’s head, Hamid ul Haq Haqqani, on Friday.

This occurred after Friday prayers as worshippers gathered to greet Haqqani, who led a local right-wing Islamist party.

Dar-ul-Uloom Haqqania school, commonly referred to as the “University of Jihad,” has produced key Taliban figures, including Mullah Omar, the founder of the Taliban, and Jalaluddin Haqqani, the founder of the notorious Haqqani network. The sprawling campus houses around 4,000 students and has long been associated with militant ideologies.

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District police chief Abdul Rasheed confirmed the attack was a suicide bombing and stated that Haqqani appeared to be the primary target. The Taliban government in Afghanistan condemned the attack and suggested that the Islamic State (IS) group might be responsible.

However, no group has officially claimed responsibility.

Hamid ul Haq was the son of Sami ul Haq Haqqani, often referred to as the “father of the Taliban,” who was assassinated in 2018. His school has played a central role in training Islamist militants for decades.

While Pakistani madrassas have been criticized for fostering extremism, successive governments have largely refrained from cracking down due to political alliances with Islamist parties.

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This attack comes amid rising militancy in Pakistan, with 2023 marking the deadliest year in a decade, resulting in over 1,600 fatalities. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government of harboring militants who launch attacks across the border, a claim Kabul denies. The resurgence of violence underscores ongoing security challenges in the region.

Authorities continue to investigate the attack, with concerns over further escalation in militant activities across the region.

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