Journalist injured in gun attack

JALALABAD (PAN): Armed militants attacked a three-member group of journalists on the Torkham-Jalalabad highway in eastern Nangarhar province, injuring one of them, an official said on Saturday.

The incident took place late on Friday, said Nangarhar police chief, Brig. Gen. Fazal Ahmad Sherzad. Police were quick in reaching the scene and fighting against the gunmen.

One of the journalists, Khyber Sapai, said they were on their way to the provincial capital when the Taliban signaled them to stop. “We did not stop and the Taliban opened fire on us,” he added.

He said such attacks on journalists were aimed at discouraging them not to travel everywhere for reporting.

Journalist Association head in Nangarhar, Lal Pacha Azmoon, condemned the incident, saying the province was fast becoming a danger place for journalists.

He said previously intelligence agents would threaten and beat journalists in Nangarhar, but now illegal armed men had intensified their assaults on media outlets.

He cited the attack on a private radio station, Hamisha Bahar, in Jalalabad that involved illegal armed men. “We request the security organs to protect journalists from being harmed by illegal gunmen.”

mds/ma

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