Twin suicide bombings in Kabul’s diplomatic quarter left at least 18 persons, including at least five journalists, dead yesterday, according to officials and media reports. At least 41 others with injuries have been transferred to hospitals in Kabul, Wahidullah Majroh, a spokesman for the Afghan Public Health Ministry, said.
Earlier, Majroh said 21 persons were killed in the attack. The first bomber detonated his explosive-laden motorcycle at a checkpoint near an Afghan spy agency facility, Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanakzay, told dpa. Stanakzay said the second suicide bomber allegedly posed as a reporter and blew himself up among journalists covering the first blast. AFP confirmed the death of its photographer, Shah Marai, in the bombing, while Farzad Salehi, an editor at 1TV, a local news agency, said the station had lost two of its reporters. Majoh also confirmed the death of Ebadullah Hananzai, a reporter for Radio Free Europe (RFE) and Khair Tokhi, from ToloNews, a local news network. Lotfullah Najafi zada, the head of the prominent Afghan news network ToloNews, said he had counted 20 dead bodies at two hospitals.
At least five journalists were said to be among the dead. However, information about the number of journalists killed in the incident is contradictory. Najib Sharifi , the head of AJSC, told dpa that seven journalists, including one from AFP, one from RFE, two from 1TV, one from local news agency ToloNews, and two others from local radio Mashal, were killed in the attack.
“This incident makes it clear that Afghanistan, where violence and killing of reporters is frequent, is the most dangerous country for journalists,” Sharifi said. He added that incidents “like these are a big threat to the survival of freedom of speech.”(dpa/NAN)
