The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its affiliate the Afghan
Independent Journalists Association (AIJA) in condemning the deadly
suicide attack on the Afghanistan Public Radio and Television (RTA)
station at Jalalabad city in Nangrahar province on May 17. The IFJ
demands immediate concrete security measures to protect journalists and
media in Afghanistan.
Four media workers including a technician and a producer at the RTA were
killed in the attack and 17 others injured when four attackers,
including two suicide bombers, forced their way into the RTA station at
around 9:30 am. The two suicide bombers blew themselves up at the front
gate and outside the main building while other attackers entered the
main building. It took the security forces more than three hours to end
the assault.
It was not immediately clear if RTA journalists and staff were among
those injured, but many of the journalists were trapped inside the
building during the attack. The station building was partly damaged in
the attack.
Samandar Khan, the AIJA president, said: “The
AIJA condemns the attack in the strongest terms and we are working
closely with officials to support journalists and media workers at the
RTA. RTA Nangrahar is a national media station serving not only military
or security bases but civilians too.”
He further added: “The
issue of serious threats to media and journalists in Nangarhar was
frequently shared with state authorities, but they didn’t take the
protection of journalists and media seriously. The AIJA is calling on
the government again to take strong measures for better security of
journalists and media in the province.”
“The IFJ condemns the
attack on state broadcaster. The IFJ and our affiliate AIJA has been
demanding security for journalists and media in Afghanistan but the
responses have been far from sufficient. This shocking attack serves to
highlight the dangers in which the media are operating in Afghanistan,
which is one of the world's deadliest countries for journalists.”
Thirteen journalists were killed in Afganistan last year, according to IFJ statistics.
