The killing of Afghan journalist Abdul Ghafor Abed has intensified concerns regarding press freedom in conflict zones. Abed, who worked as a provincial reporter for Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), was killed on October 15, 2023, while covering violent clashes between Taliban and Pakistani security forces in the Zazai Maidan district of Khost province. Reports indicate he was caught in the crossfire while reporting from the frontline.
Alongside Abed, Tawab Arman, a broadcast manager from RTA, sustained injuries during the incident. The two journalists had traveled from neighboring Paktika province to report on the escalating tensions at the border. The Taliban police command in Khost, represented by spokesperson Mustaghfar Grubaz, claimed that the RTA journalists were specifically targeted by Pakistani forces while they were on assignment.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for both Taliban and Pakistani authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Abed’s death. Beh Lih Yi, CPJ’s Asia-Pacific Director, emphasized the need for accountability, asserting that “journalists reporting from conflict zones are protected as civilians under international law.”
Escalating Violence Along the Border
This tragic event occurred during a period of heightened tensions along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, where recent airstrikes and retaliatory attacks have raised fears of further escalation. Reports indicate that dozens of soldiers and civilians have lost their lives in the ongoing violence. The Taliban allege that the current hostilities were initiated by Pakistani airstrikes in Kabul on October 9, 2023, which led to counterattacks on Pakistani military positions. Both parties had agreed to a 48-hour ceasefire on Wednesday.
Despite international legal protections for journalists in armed conflict, the situation for media professionals in Afghanistan has worsened significantly since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021. Organizations advocating for press freedom report that numerous journalists have faced detention or assault by Taliban authorities, and incidents of crossfire at the border have resulted in fatalities.
The Afghanistan Free Journalists Union has echoed the call for investigations, suggesting that journalists like Abed are increasingly at risk and may have been deliberately targeted during this incident.
Following the incident, neither Attaullah Tarar, Pakistan’s Information Minister, nor Hamdullah Fitrat, Taliban Deputy Spokesperson, responded to requests for comments from the CPJ, raising further questions about accountability in the ongoing conflict.
This tragic event is a poignant reminder of the dangers faced by journalists in conflict zones and underscores the urgent need for protective measures to ensure their safety while reporting on critical issues.
