A female journalist has been shot dead in eastern Afghanistan, the latest victim of a spate of assassinations across the country.
Malala Maiwand was on her way to work in Jalalabad on Thursday when gunmen opened fire on her vehicle. Her driver, Mohammad Tahir, was also killed.
No group has officially said it carried out the attack. The killings come after Nato and the EU issued a statement condemning recent targeted killings in Afghanistan, reports BBC.
Maiwand, a journalist at Enikass TV and Radio, was travelling to work when her vehicle was attacked by unidentified gunmen.
The provincial governor’s spokesman, Attaollah Khogiyani, told local media the assailants had fled the area.
Maiwand, also a civil society activist, had previously spoken about the challenges of being a female journalist in the country.
Her mother, also an activist, was killed by unknown gunmen five years ago, Reuters news agency reports.
British ambassador to Afghanistan, Alison Blake condemned the killing of Maiwand on Twitter.
“We join in expressing our condolences and condemnation of the murders of journalist Malalai Maiwand and her driver this morning #NotATarget,” she wrote.
“We must unite to uphold #PressFreedom, their deaths must be investigated and their killers face justice for this wicked act”.
