KABUL: Two journalists were shot and killed when gunmen stormed their radio station in northeast Afghanistan, officials said on Wednesday.

The pair, both men in their 20s, were gunned down inside the studios of Radio Hamsada, a private broadcaster based in Taloqan, the capital of Takhar province.

Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack and an investigation was underway, provincial spokesman Jawad Hejri said.

“Two unidentified gunmen entered the radio station’s office at around 6pm on Tuesday. They opened fire on two reporters who were behind their mics during a live programme. Both reporters died at the scene,” he said.

The attack is the second this year in Afghanistan targeting journalists, and comes as diplomatic efforts to end the 17-year war have intensified.

Last month, Afghan citizen journalist Jawid Noori was snatched from his car and murdered by the Taliban in Farah province in the country’s west.

US ambassador to Kabul, John Bass, said he was “saddened and angered” by the killings.

“It is time to #EndIm­punity for crimes against journalists. #Press­Free­dom,” he tweeted.

Amnesty International described the latest attack as a “horrific crime” and urged Afghan authorities to ensure protection for journalists so they could work safely.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2019