Two Afghan TV workers were killed on Saturday May 30 by a roadside bomb in Kabul, when the government said it was ready to start negotiations with the Taliban. " An economic journalist and the driver of the minibus died when the vehicle carrying 15 employees of Khurshid TV was struck, " Jawed Farhad, the director of this private television channel, told AFP.
Second attack on the TV channel
According to the Interior Ministry, Saturday's attack targeted Kurshid TV. " An attack on journalists is an attack on freedom of expression ... The Afghan government is seriously investigating ," said Feroz Bashari, a government spokesperson.
Six other employees of the chain were injured, he added. It was the second attack on Khurshid TV employees in less than a year.
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Renewed violence despite recent cease-fire
The incident comes as violence has declined across the country since a rare three-day ceasefire, initiated by the Taliban, which ended on Tuesday.
Insurgents have since resumed attacks on Afghan forces, albeit less intensely than usual, and have said they are not responsible for Saturday's explosion, which has yet to be claimed.
A few hours before the attack, the government official in charge of talks, Abdullah Abdullah, had announced that his team was ready to start peace negotiations with the Taliban " at any time ". " The announcement of a ceasefire, a reduction in violence and the exchange of prisoners set the stage for a good start, " he said at a press conference. Abdullah Abdullah, who heads a Kabul-based negotiating council, however, said a new ceasefire should be put in place during the negotiations.
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