An Afghan journalist was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Friday, the fifth journalist to be killed in the country in the past two months, a local spokesman said Friday.
According to Associated Press, Bismillah Adil Aimak was driving near Feroz Koh, the provincial capital of Ghor, on his way home after visiting a family in a nearby village.
The gunmen then opened fire on the vehicle, killing Aimak, the governor’s spokesman Arif Abir said. Abir added that other people in the vehicle, including Ike’s brother, were injured in the attack.
The AP reported that no group has claimed responsibility, and Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid denied that its members were involved.
Aymak, also known as a human rights activist, served as head of the local radio station Sada-e-Or.
The killing follows the death last week of Rahmatullah Nekzad, leader of the Ghazni province’s journalists’ union. The AP reported that a group of armed men attacked outside his home.
Nekzad has been involved in reporting to the AP since 2007, and previously worked for Al Jazeera.
In December, Islamic State claimed responsibility for the killing of Afghan anchorwoman Malala Maiwand, who was shot dead as she was leaving her home in Nangarhar province.
Maiwand was killed after two bomb blasts killed two Afghan journalists.
Reporters Without Borders listed Afghanistan this week Top five terrible countries for journalists In 2020, with Mexico, Iraq, Pakistan and India.
The Independent Human Rights Commission of Afghanistan said this week that the recent deaths have increased the targeting of Afghan journalists, with the group saying there is self-censorship in the local media.
Violence has also continued amid peace talks between the Taliban and the Kabul government, which began in September, although the talks have been postponed until this month.
Borders without Reporters met this week More journalists around the world were killed outside the war zone in 2020, with the majority being deliberately targeted.
Of the 50 journalists killed last year, 34 were in countries not involved in armed conflict. The number of journalists killed outside the battlefield in conflict zones that began in 2016 has surpassed.
The 2020 report also found that 42 journalists were deliberately targeted in connection with their work. Those journalists were investigating topics related to organized crime groups, corruption and environmental issues such as illegal mining or land grabbing.
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