Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

Gunmen Kill Gov't Media Official in Afghanistan


Thu 06 May 2021 | 03:15 PM
Omnia Ahmed

Afghan officials announced that gunmen killed a former TV presenter on Thursday as he was travelling in the southern city of Kandahar.

Provincial spokesman Baheer Ahmadi said Nimat Rawan was shot at noon by two gunmen who were able to escape with his mobile phone.

Ahmadi added that Security officials have told several other journalists in the area that extremists are targeting them as well.

The killing heightens serious worries over the fate of Afghan journalists amid U.S. troops pullout, as many  fear violence will spike and reprisals will be taken out against those who worked with foreign forces.

Rawan was a former TV presenter for the well-known local channel Tolo news. In addition, he had been working in the Finance Ministry's media office, media watchdog Nia said in a statement.

No group has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the incident comes a day after the Taliban issued a threat to Afghan journalists it considered too close to U.S.-backed security agencies.

In a statement, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid warned Afghan journalists against giving “one-sided news in support of Afghanistan’s intelligence,” or otherwise “face the consequences.”