The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) in condemning the killing of a journalist in an explosion in Helmand province, in southern Afghanistan on Friday, November 4. The IFJ demands urgent action from the Afghanistan government to ensure the safety for the Afghan media community.
Journalist Nematullah Zahir, a local reporter for Kabul-based Ariana TV, was killed in a bomb blast on Friday afternoon. He was on a reporting trip with two other reporters near Lashkargah city when the incident occurred. AIJA Helmand president Zainullah Stanekzai and a reporter of Zwandon TV survived the explosion. It was not immediately clear whether the journalists were targeted or fell prey to an ambush.
Stanikzai reportedly said: “We were on our way to the 2nd police district where fighting was underway when the vehicle we were traveling in hit a roadside bomb. One reporter was killed another wounded and the blast left an impact on me as well.”
Samandar Khan, AIJA president, said: “The AIJA leadership condemns the attack and calls on the local government to complete the investigations. This and all other killings of journalists show that the situation is worse for journalists in remote areas.” The AIJA added that Afghanistan has lost more journalists in 2016 than any other year in the past 15 years.
