Gunmen have shot and killed a television journalist and women’s rights activist in Afghanistan in an incident that underscored increasing violence against journalists in the country.
Malalai Maiwand, a reporter at Enikas Radio and TV, was killed along with her driver Mohammad Tahir when gunmen fired on their vehicle in Jalalabad, the capital of the eastern province of Nangarhar.
Her death took the total number of journalists and media workers killed this year in Afghanistan to 10.
“She was on the way to office when the incident happened,” Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said.
The area has been a hotbed of militant activity, most notably involving Islamic State, but no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
International donors and governments have also expressed apprehension about a possible reversal of progress on women’s rights over the last two decades if the Taliban return to any sort of power with the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country next year.
The Taliban’s hardline rule was marked by oppressive laws for women up until the group was toppled after a 2001 US-led invasion of Afghanistan.
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Source: theguardian
