Dark day for reporters as 9 killed in Afghan bombing - CBS News 8 - San Diego, CA News Station - KFMB Channel 8

Dark day for reporters as 9 killed in Afghan bombing

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(AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini). Relatives of AFP photojournalist, who has been killed in the second bombing, carry his coffin in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 30, 2018. A coordinated double suicide bombing by the Islamic State group hit central Kabul... (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini). Relatives of AFP photojournalist, who has been killed in the second bombing, carry his coffin in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 30, 2018. A coordinated double suicide bombing by the Islamic State group hit central Kabul...
(AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini). Journalists mourn for their colleagues, who have been killed in the second bombing, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 30, 2018. A coordinated double suicide bombing by the Islamic State group hit central Kabul on Monday... (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini). Journalists mourn for their colleagues, who have been killed in the second bombing, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 30, 2018. A coordinated double suicide bombing by the Islamic State group hit central Kabul on Monday...
(Johannes Eisele/AFP via AP). FILE - In this file photo taken April 17, 2012 and released by the Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Monday, April 30, 2018, showing AFP photographer Shah Marai at the AFP bureau in Kabul. AFP chief photographer in Kabul, Shah... (Johannes Eisele/AFP via AP). FILE - In this file photo taken April 17, 2012 and released by the Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Monday, April 30, 2018, showing AFP photographer Shah Marai at the AFP bureau in Kabul. AFP chief photographer in Kabul, Shah...
(AP Photo/Rahmat Gul). A man cries at a hospital after he lost his Journalist son in explosions in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 30, 2018. A coordinated double suicide bombing hit central Kabul on Monday morning, (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul). A man cries at a hospital after he lost his Journalist son in explosions in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 30, 2018. A coordinated double suicide bombing hit central Kabul on Monday morning,
(AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini). Victims in double explosions lie on the ground in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 30, 2018. The explosions targeted central Kabul on Monday morning, killing people, including a journalist, and wounding a dozen, authoritie... (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini). Victims in double explosions lie on the ground in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, April 30, 2018. The explosions targeted central Kabul on Monday morning, killing people, including a journalist, and wounding a dozen, authoritie...

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PARIS (AP) - Monday marked the bloodiest day for journalists in a long time: At least nine were killed and half a dozen wounded in a double suicide bombing in Afghanistan's capital.

Almost as alarming as the bloodshed - at least 25 people were killed overall and dozens wounded - was the modus operandi. It appeared that the journalists were intentionally targeted by a bomber who hid among members of the media rushing to cover the first explosion.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said Monday it is formally appealing to the U.N. secretary general for the creation of a special U.N. envoy for protecting journalists.

The Washington-based Committee to Protect Journalists strongly condemned the attack, calling it "a reminder of the extreme dangers to media workers in that country" and "an assault on Afghan democracy."

Monday's bombing by the Islamic State group was the deadliest attack targeting reporters since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, according to Reporters Without Borders, also known by its French acronym RSF.

It said 36 media workers have been killed in Afghanistan in attacks by the Islamic State group or the Taliban since 2016. The country has seen a relentless string of large-scale bombings and assaults recently - and another attack Monday killed 11 children and wounded eight Romanian NATO soldiers.

The journalists targeted in Kabul were Afghans working for media organizations from various countries.

Agence France-Presse said its chief photographer in Kabul, Shah Marai, was among those killed.

RSF named the others as: ToloNews cameraman Yar Mohammad Tokhi; three journalists for Radio Free Europe - Ebadollah Hananzi, Sabvon Kakeker and Maharam Darani; two cameramen for Afghan network TV1, Ghazi Rasoli and Norozali Rajabi; and Salim Talash and Ali Salimi of local Mashal TV.

RSF said among the journalists badly wounded were Naser Hashemi of broadcaster Al-Jazeera, Omar Soltani of Reuters, Ahmadshah Azimi of media organization Nedai Aghah, Ayar Amar of the weekly Vahdat Mili and Davod Ghisanai of the privately-owned TV channel Mivand. It did not have the identity of the sixth wounded journalist.

The BBC said one of its Afghan reporters, Ahmad Shah, was killed the same day in a separate attack in the eastern Khost province.

In claiming the Kabul attack, the Islamic State group didn't say that journalists were specifically targeted.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said in a statement that attacks targeting innocent civilians, worshippers inside mosques, national and democratic processes, reporters and freedom of speech all are war crimes.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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