Editor killed, journalist taken hostage by Taliban in Kabul

Kabul [Afghanistan], August 9 (ANI): Editor-in-chief of Afghanistan’s Paktia Ghag radio station Toofan Omari was killed in the Deh Sabz district of Kabul on Sunday. While a journalist has been taken hostage by the Taliban in war-torn Afghanistan’s Helmand province.

Niamatullah Hemat, editor-in-chief of the local Boost radio station and reporter of Gharghakht TV channel based in Khost province has been taken hostage by the Taliban fighters in Nawa district of Helmand province, Afghanistan’s Khanama Press said. However, no group has taken the responsibility for Toofan Omari’s death yet. Omari was also an attorney in the Judicial and justice center in the Bagram district of the Afghan capital Kabul.

Provincial in charge of Nai (Open Media Advocate in Afghanistan), Abul Sami Ghairatmal said that Hemat was taken out of his home in Nawa district on Monday, Khanama Press added. Ghairatmal has asked the Taliban to abide by the promise made with media outlets in Afghanistan and release the journalist as soon as possible. The terror group now controls all the districts of Helmand province and has been fighting the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in the provincial capital, Lashkargah.

The Taliban’s aggressive offensive has killed many government forces and innocent civilians. Multiple reports have claimed that the group has been looting innocent civilians after capturing various areas. The terror group’s recent skirmish became aggressive soon after the US troops started leaving war-torn Afghanistan in large numbers under the new peace deal signed between Washington and the Taliban in February last year. (ANI)