Abdul Ahad Mohmand, Afghanistan’s first and only astronaut, has died in Germany after years of battling cancer.

Abdul Ahad Mohmand, the first and only astronaut of Afghanistan, passed away on Sunday at the age of 67 in a hospital in Germany due to cancer.

According to reports, his family and close relatives have confirmed his death.

Sources say that in recent years he had been living with his family in the city of Stuttgart, Germany, and had been struggling with cancer in the final stages of his life.

Abdul Ahad Mohmand made history in 1988 at the age of 29 when he traveled to the space station “Mir” as part of a joint mission of the former Soviet Union. After spending about nine days in space, he became the first Afghan astronaut in the country’s history and one of Afghanistan’s most prominent scientific figures.

His passing is considered a major loss for the scientific community and the people of Afghanistan.