Afghanistan mourns killing of journalists

By Shadi Khan Saif

KABUL, Afghanistan

Funeral prayers were held Tuesday for the Afghan journalists killed in a Daesh-claimed twin-suicide bombing in the capital Kabul as the fraternity is gripped by fears amid ragging insurgency in the war-ravaged country.

The attack inside the supposedly highly secured green zone in Kabul on Monday claimed the lives of nine journalists.

On the same day, another journalist was shot dead in the eastern Khost province.

Prior to this, one journalist was shot dead by unknown gunmen in southern Kandahar province.

Rahimullah Samandar, president of the Afghanistan Independent Journalists' Association (AIJA) -- which has over 1,900 members throughout the country -- highlighted the grim threats posed to the working journalists in highly volatile environment in the country.

“Yesterday’s suicide bombings was a direct and targeted attack on the media in Afghanistan,” he told Anadolu Agency.

This was the single bloodiest attack on Afghan journalists after a Taliban-claimed suicide attack on a bus carrying Tolo News employees in January 2016 killed six journalists and staff members.

Among the 10 journalists who lost their lives Monday were Shah Marai, photographer for the French wire service AFP; 52-year-old Yar Mohammad Tokhi, another slain journalist associated with Tolo News, Farishta Mehram Durrani, a female journalist.

The Radio Liberty/ Radio Free Europe’s Afghan Service "Azadi Radio" has borne the brunt of carnage by losing three journalists.

In a statement, the service’s head, Hashim Momand, has condemned the "brutal" attack.

“Azadi Radio has always been an impartial radio, we have always informed our listeners, and have always remained neutral and will remain neutral,” he said, extending condolences to the friends and relatives of the victims.

In the eyes of many observers, the attack has also highlighted the vulnerability of Afghan journalists considering the fact none of the victims were wearing life-vests or other safety gear.

“We are now going to put pressure on the media houses as well to provide safety trainings and safety gear to the journalist working in the field,” Samandar said.

In Pakistan, journalists gathered at the National Press Club in Islamabad for a candlelight vigil in memory of the slain Afghan journalists.

Journalists and civil society members paid great tribute to the slain journalists and strongly condemned the yesterday barbaric attack in Kabul.

The speakers on the occasion termed the killing of journalists as a war crime and demanded the United Nations Security Council and International Court of Justice to investigate the incident and provide security to journalists working in conflict regions.

*Islamuddin Sajid from Islamabad contributed to this story