Unidentified gunmen shot dead an Afghan journalist, a local spokesman said on Friday, the fifth journalist killed in the country in the past two months.
According to The Associated Press, Bismillah Adil Aimaq drove near Feroz Koh, the provincial capital of Ghor, and drove home after a visit with family in a nearby village.
Arif Abir, the governor’s spokesman, said gunmen opened fire on the vehicle and killed Aimaq. Abir added that others in the vehicle, including Aimaq’s brother, were unharmed in the attack.
The AP reported that no group had accepted responsibility, and a Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, denied that its members were involved.
Aimaq, also known as a human rights activist, worked as head of the local Radio Sada-e-Ghor station.
The killing follows the death last week of Ghazni province’s trade union leader Rahmatullah Nekzad. The AP reports that he was attacked outside his home by a group of armed men.
Nekzad has reported to the AP since 2007 and also previously worked for Al Jazeera.
In December, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the murder of Afghan anchor Malala Maiwand, who was shot dead as she was leaving her home in Nangarhar province.
Maiwand’s death was preceded by the killings of two Afghan journalists in separate bombings.
Reporters Without Borders this week brought Afghanistan under the top five deadliest countries for journalists in 2020, along with Mexico, Iraq, Pakistan and India.
The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission said this week that the recent deaths indicate an increase in the target of Afghan journalists, which according to the group has led to self-censorship among local media.
The violence continued even amid peace talks that began between the Taliban and the Kabul government in September, although talks have been suspended until this month.
Reporters Without Borders found this week that more journalists around the world were killed outside war zones by 2020, with the majority deliberate.
Of the 50 journalists killed last year, 34 were in countries not involved in armed conflict. The number of journalists killed outside the war zones has surpassed those in conflict zones since 2016.
The 2020 report also found that 42 journalists were deliberately targeted in connection with their work. The journalists investigated organized crime groups, corruption and topics related to environmental issues, such as illegal mining or land grabbing.