Afghan Journalist Shot Dead In Zabul

Unknown gunmen have shot dead an Afghan journalist in western Zabul province of Afghanistan on Sunday evening.

Afghanistan Journalist Center (AFJC) said in a statement that unknown gunmen have shot dead Yaqub Sharafat, provincial reporter for the state-run Radio Television of Afghanistan (RTA) in the Qalat city, the capital of western Zabul province on Sunday evening.

According to the reports the attacker has escaped after shooting Mr. Sharafat in his head. He sustained serious gunshot injuries and died on the way to the hospital.

Sharafat, 22, started working with RTA about two years ago in Zabul province. He was married and had a baby girl.

Police says the identity of the attackers and the motivation behind the attack is still unknown, but police has begun its investigation.

No group has claimed responsibility for the killing yet.

Despite of Afghanistan’s achievements in the area of freedom of speech during the last 15 years, the country still witnesses many cases of violations against journalists and other media workers.

Records reveals that Sharafat is the eleventh journalist and media worker to be killed in Afghanistan in 2016. Seven media workers were killed in a deadly bomb attack on a staff bus of a private channel in Kabul in January; a senior journalist was shot dead in Nanagarhar province in February and two journalists for the National Public Radio – an Afghan and an American – were killed in Helmand in June.