Two radio station employees gunned down

Monitoring Desk

KABUL: Two Radio Hamsada employees were gunned down in Taliqan city in Takhar province on late Tuesday night.

Abdul Khalil Asir, a spokesman for the Takhar police, said unknown gunmen entered the radio station’s offices in Taliqan on Tuesday night and opened fire on staff.

Officials from Radio Hamsada said the victims were a journalist and a presenter.

Shafiqullah Arya, 28, was a journalist and he had worked for the radio station for six years.

The other victim, Rahimullah Rahmani, 26, was a presenter and had worked for Radio Hamsada for two years.

Radio Hamsada officials said both victims were unmarried.

Asir said immediately after the shooting, the gunmen fled the area.

He said the reason for the attack was not yet clear but that police have started an investigation.

Meanwhile, eyewitnesses said the incident took place just meters away from the governor’s office.

Speaking to Reuters, Radio Hamsad director, Semin Hussaini said both victims had been males in their 20s.

This was the second killing of journalists in Afghanistan this year.

Last month, Taliban kidnapped and then killed a part-time journalist, Javid Noori, whom they claimed was a government employee.

Afghan journalists are repeatedly targeted by insurgents. Last year 15 were killed.

According to Reporters Without Borders, Afghanistan is among the top three most dangerous countries in the world for journalists – along with Syria and Mexico. (TOLOnews)