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KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) – The Taliban on Friday gunned down the director of Afghanistan’s Government Information Media Center, the latest murder of a government official and which comes just days after an assassination attempt on the minister of Interim Defense.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told The Associated Press that fighters from the groups killed Dawa Khan Menapal, who ran the government’s press operations for local and foreign media.
In a statement later released by Mujahid, he said Menapal “was killed in a special attack on Mujahideen” and was “punished for his actions”.
Mujahid did not give further details. Assassinations of government officials by the Taliban are not uncommon, and several recent attacks on civilians have been claimed by Islamic State. The government most often holds the Taliban responsible.
War between the Taliban and Afghan government forces has escalated in recent months as US and NATO troops complete their withdrawal from the war-torn country. The Taliban are now trying to take over provincial capitals after having already taken smaller administrative districts.
Menapal’s murder took place as weekly Friday prayers were being said, Interior Ministry deputy spokesman Said Hamid Rushan said. It was not known where Menapal was at the time of the shooting.
Late Tuesday, a Taliban bombing targeting Afghanistan’s acting defense minister left at least eight dead and 20 injured in a heavily guarded upscale neighborhood of Kabul. The deputy minister is unharmed.
The explosion was followed by a shootout which also left four activists dead. The Taliban have said they want to avenge their fighters killed in government offensives in rural provinces.
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