KABUL: An Afghan journalist-turned spokesman for the country’s public protection force was killed along with two colleagues on Sunday by a bomb targeting their vehicle, officials said.

The murder of Zia Wadan, who previously worked for several media networks, appeared to be the latest in a series of targeted killings that have rocked Afghanis­tan, especially Kabul.

Wadan and his colleagues were killed in morning rush-hour traffic in an eastern part of the capital, interior ministry spokesman Tariq Arian told reporters.

“A vehicle carrying Zia Wadan was targeted with an IED... as a result, Wadan and two of his colleagues were killed,” Arian said, adding that another person was wounded.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but President Ashraf Ghani blamed it on the Taliban.

“The spike in violence by the Taliban is against (the) spirit of commitment for peace and indicates the group still pursues their hawkish attitude to take innocent lives and damage public facilities,” the presidential palace said on Twitter, quoting President Ghani.

Wadan was a spokesman for a security service under the interior ministry that deploys guards to international organisations across Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2021