喀布爾自殺襲擊打死26人 包括9名媒體人

A twin suicide bombing Monday in Afghanistan's capital Kabul killed at least 26 people, including nine journalists. At least 50 people were wounded, including five journalists.

Islamic State through its Amaq news agency claimed responsibility for the deadliest ever assault on media workers in Afghanistan.

Local media watchdog, Afghan Journalist Safety Committee (AJSC), while confirming the media-related fatalities, strongly condemned the attack.

Two female journalists, including Maharram Durrani from RFE/RL, were among the dead. French news agency AFP has confirmed the death of its chief photographer in Kabul, Shah Marai. Two male staffers from RFE, Abadullah Hananzai and Abawoon Kakar, were also killed.

A leading Afghan television station, 1 TV News, has also confirmed the killing of two staffers in Monday's attack.

Afghan authorities and witnesses said the attack began during early morning rush hour with a suicide bomber on motorbike blowing himself up near an office of the National Directorate of Security, the country's intelligence agency.

When rescue workers and media crews gathered at the site minutes later, a second bomber disguised as a journalist detonated explosives strapped to his body, causing most of the casualties, said Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Istanikzai.

In a statement, VOA said it was saddened by the loss of journalists from its sister network, RFE/RL, in the Kabul blasts. "With World Press Freedom Day on May 3, today's tragedy is a reminder of the dangers that journalists face every day to bring global audiences accurate, objective and reliable news," the statement said.

General John Nicholson, who commands U.S. forces and NATO's non-combatant mission in the country, said, "We condemn in the strongest terms possible the cowardly attacks in Kabul by two suicide bombers that killed and injured Afghan forces and innocent Afghan citizens, including journalists."

Hours after the attack in Kabul, unknown gunmen killed a local BBC journalist, Ahmad Shah, in the border city of Khost.

The Afghan Taliban issued a statement denying involvement in the attacks in Kabul and Khost.星期一，阿富汗首都喀布爾發生連環自殺炸彈襲擊，炸死至少26人，包括九名新聞從業者。還有至少50人受傷，包括五名新聞從業者。

“伊斯蘭國”通過其“阿馬克”(Amaq)通訊社宣稱對襲擊負責，這是對阿富汗境內媒體工作者所進行的最爲致命的襲擊。

當地媒體觀察組織“阿富汗記者安全委員會”(AJSC)證明有記者死亡，並強烈譴責襲擊。

死難者中有兩名女記者，包括自由歐洲電臺/自由電臺(RFE/RL)的瑪哈蘭姆·杜拉尼。法新社(AFP)證實法新社駐喀布爾的首席攝影師沙阿·馬拉伊喪生。兩名自由歐洲電臺的男性員工阿卜杜拉·哈南扎伊和阿巴烏恩·卡卡爾也遇難身亡。

阿富汗電視新聞一臺(1 TV News)也證實有兩名員工在星期一的襲擊事件中遇難。

阿富汗當局和目擊者說，襲擊開始於早晨的交通高峯期。一名騎着摩托車的自殺炸彈手在阿富汗情報機構國家安全局附近引爆自盡。

喀布爾警方發言人哈施邁特‧伊斯塔尼卡扎伊說，幾分鐘後，當救援工作者和媒體人員聚集在現場時，僞裝成記者的第二名炸彈手引爆了纏在自己身上的爆炸物，多數傷亡都是由此人引起的。

美國之音(VOA)發表聲明，對同屬美國國際廣播局的自由歐洲電臺/自由電臺的新聞工作者在喀布爾爆炸事件中遇難表示哀悼。聲明說：“5月3日就是世界新聞自由日，今天的悲劇提醒人們新聞從業者每天爲全球受衆帶來準確、客觀和可靠的消息時所面對的危險。”

駐阿美軍和北約非作戰使團的指揮官約翰·尼科爾森上將說：“我們以最強烈的方式譴責兩名自殺炸彈手在喀布爾進行的懦夫式的襲擊，襲擊導致阿富汗部隊和無辜阿富汗平民、包括新聞從業者的傷亡。”

在喀布爾襲擊事件的幾個小時後，一名身份不明的槍手在邊境城市霍斯特打死了英國廣播公司(BBC)在當地的新聞從業者艾哈邁德·沙赫。

阿富汗塔利班發表聲明，否認捲入喀布爾和霍斯特的襲擊事件。