The International Federation of Journalists is reporting that seven people may have been killed in an attack on media workers in Afghanistan.
The group reports news of a suicide attack on a media van carrying staff from TOLO TV, an Afghanistan TV channel. The 24-hour broadcaster had received threats from the Taliban last October after its reports of abuses by Taliban fighters during the battle for Kunduz, the IFJ reported.
The van had reportedly just left the news station to drive TOLO staff to their homes at the end of the day when it came under attack. According to police officials, seven people have been killed with another 24 seriously injured.
IFJ genereral secretary Anthony Bellanger said: "“The IFJ expresses its sincere condolences to the families of our colleagues savagely assassinated this evening in Kabul. Once more journalists and media workers are paying the highest price simply for fulfilling their mission to inform."
"Today, all the world’s journalists are in shock. The IFJ demands that everything possible be done to shine light on this atrocity and that the Afghan government conducts a thorough investigation to identify those responsible for this ‘massacre of Kabul’."
Samandar Khan, President of the Afghan Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) an affiliate of the IFJ, said: "It is with all sadness I want share with you all that we lost seven member of Kabura production related to TOLO TV. AIJA strongly condemns this attack and calls on International organisations to join the wider condemnation. The whole media and journalist community is shocked and saddened by this outrage.”
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