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Suicide bomb in Afghan capital targets journalists, kills seven people

21 January 2016 02:10 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A Taliban suicide car bomber targeted a minibus carrying journalists working for a private Afghan television channel on Wednesday, killing seven employees during evening rush hour close to the national parliament in Kabul, officials said.It was the latest in a series of suicide attacks in the Afghan capital that coincide with renewed efforts to revive a peace process with Taliban insurgents that broke down in July.The bomber targeted a vehicle owned by a company that works with Tolo News, Afghanistan's first 24-hour news channel, Kabul Police Chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi told reporters. "Such brutal and cowardly attacks can never stop us serving our country, people and protecting democracy," said Karim Amini, a reporter for the channel.Television footage showed the black burned-out shell of the vehicle where fire had torn through the roof and windows, APA reports quoting Reuters.

The Taliban openly threatened to target the television channel last year after it reported allegations of summary executions, rape, kidnappings and other abuses by Taliban fighters during the battle for Kunduz.The Islamist insurgents briefly captured the northern city in October, their biggest success in the 15-year insurgency, before being ousted by government forces.The Taliban, who are fighting to topple the Western-backed government in Kabul and reimpose strict Islamic law, said they carried out the attack and issued another grim warning."If they do not stop their evil activities this will not be the last attack on them," Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, said in an emailed statement. Tolo News has been one of the most active media operations in the country for years, employing dozens of journalists, many in volatile provinces.