Habib Ur Rahman Mansoor was sitting in his car in the provincial capital, Faizabad, when the explosion occurred late Thursday, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry.
The attack comes just two weeks after another senior provincial government official, Information and Culture Ministry Director Zabihullah Amiri, was shot dead. No motive has been identified for the attack.
The unrest is taking place as the Taliban prepare to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the fundamentalist movement's August 15, 2021, retaking of power in a lightning offensive after US forces withdrew.
