Who are the Haqqanis, Afghanistan´s most feared insurgents?

KABUL: The Taliban announced Tuesday the death of Jalaluddin Haqqani,  whose eponymous militant group is now considered one of the most dangerous factions fighting Afghan and US-led NATO forces in Afghanistan.

The Haqqani network was founded by Jalaluddin, an Afghan mujahideen commander fighting the Soviet occupation in the 1980s with the help of the United States and Pakistan.

Now a Taliban affiliate, it is blamed for some of the most shocking and brutal attacks across Afghanistan since the US invasion of 2001. 

Designated a terror group by Washington, targeting it is one of the top US priorities in the region.

 Who are they?

Jalaluddin gained notoriety for his organisation and bravery during the Afghan conflict of the 1980s, garnering attention from the CIA and a personal visit from US congressman Charlie Wilson.

A fluent Arabic speaker, Jalaluddin also fostered close ties with Arab jihadists, including Osama bin Laden, who flocked to the region during the war. Later, Jalaluddin became a minister in the Taliban regime.

He is believed to have been ill for several years. The network has been led by his son Sirajuddin, who doubles as the Afghan Taliban´s deputy leader, for some time now.

The Haqqanis are known for their heavy use of suicide bombers. Analysts have long suspected them of being behind some high-profile attacks in Kabul that have been claimed by the Islamic State group in recent years.

Among many spectacular assaults, they were accused of killing around 150 people in the heart of Kabul with a truck bomb in May 2017 -- though Sirajuddin later denied the accusation in a rare audio message.

The network has also been accused of assassinating top Afghan officials and holding kidnapped Westerners for ransom.

That includes Canadian Joshua Boyle, his American wife Caitlan Coleman, and their three children, who were released last year. They also held US soldier Bowe Bergdahl, who was released in 2014 in exchange for five Afghan Guantanamo Bay detainees.

 Where are they now?

Following the US invasion of Afghanistan, Taliban fighters  regrouped before launching an insurgency against the Americans.

That included the Haqqanis, who coordinated attacks on NATO .

The US launched repeated drone attacks against the group, while Pakistan´s military conducted successive clearing operations.

Islamabad intensified military operations in North Waziristan in 2014, however, and now insists that there are no militant safe havens left on Pakistani soil.

With Sirajuddin firmly in charge, Jalaluddin´s death may not have much strategic impact on the network´s operations.