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JALALABAD: Outrage swept through Afghanistan today as funerals (pix) were carried out by three female media workers shot to death in the eastern city of Jalalabad, the latest killings in the war-weary country.
Journalists, activists and judges have recently been ambushed by gunmen or killed by explosives planted in their vehicles as escalating violence forces many into hiding, with some leaving Afghanistan.
The killings have escalated since peace talks began last year between the Afghan government and the Taliban, raising fears that insurgents are eliminating suspected opponents.
The three women were shot and killed in two separate attacks after they left the Enikass television station where they worked yesterday.
Later, an Islamic State affiliate claimed responsibility for the killings, saying its gunmen carried out the killings of what it called “journalists working for one of the media loyal to the apostate Afghan government.”
Friends and family gathered in Jalalabad to bury their loved ones while pleading for an end to the killings.
Mohammad Nazif said that his cousin Sadia Sadat was only 18 years old when she was killed on Tuesday and that she had been working at the television station for the past year to help support her family.
“Her family was very happy that she worked in television. I had not received any warning, ”Nazif told AFP.
“I don’t know why the militants target such innocent girls. I ask you to stop the targeted killing of media workers. “
An Enikass TV colleague who spoke on condition of anonymity said the station was recovering from the killings and said the three victims were like “family.”
“Three innocent girls were shot and killed in daylight in the middle of the city. No one is safe anymore, ”said the colleague.
In December, another employee working for Enikass TV was killed in Jalalabad under similar circumstances.
Afghanistan has long been classified as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists.
At least nine media workers have died since peace talks with the Taliban began in September, according to the Committee on the Safety of Afghan Journalists.
US officials have blamed the Taliban for the wave of violence, while the Kabul government said insurgents routinely hide behind ISIS claims to cover their tracks. The Taliban have denied the charges. – AFP
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