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AFGHANISTAN-CONFLICT-MEDIA-BOMBING
Bomb attack kills former Afghan TV presenter: police
KABUL, Nov 7, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – A former Afghan television presenter and
two other civilians were killed in a bomb explosion in Kabul on Saturday,
police said, in the latest violence to rock the city.
Yama Siawash was killed when a bomb attached to his vehicle exploded near
his residence in the Afghan capital, police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz told
journalists.
Siawash, who recently had joined Afghanistan’s central bank as an adviser,
used to be a prominent political and current affairs presenter with Tolo
News, the country’s biggest private TV channel.
No group claimed the attack, but many prominent figures, including
journalists, clerics, politicians and rights activists, have been killed in
targeted attacks in Kabul and other cities amid growing violence in the
country.
Siawash’s death drew immediate condemnation from senior Afghan officials.
“Targeting journalists is targeting the freedom of expression and Siawash’s
death is a big loss for our country,” Abdullah Abdullah, who heads the
country’s overall peace and reconciliation process said in a statement.
“This is an unforgivable and unforgettable crime.”
Sediq Sediqqi, spokesman for President Ashraf Ghani, also condemned the
killing of “one of the most talented (television) presenters” in Afghanistan.
Violence has surged across Afghanistan in recent months despite the Taliban
and Afghan government engaging in peace talks to end the country’s long
running conflict.
On Monday, a deadly raid by militants on Kabul University left 22 people
dead, many of them students.
The Islamic State militant group claimed that attack, which came just days
after a suicide bombing near an educational centre in Kabul killed 24 people.
That attack was also claimed by IS.
BSS/AFP/SSS/1320 hrs