Press Statement

Taliban burned down Ghaznavian Radio and Television Building

12 Aug, 2018

Taliban burned down Ghaznavian Radio and Television Building after massive attacks on major parts of Ghazni city on third day long arrmed fighting to control provincial capital.

During attack on station, the staff of Ghaznvian Radio and Television were not present inside media house.

AIJA President, Rahimullah Samandar strongly condemned this attack on Independent media house and named this; attack on free media and freedom of expression.

“Journalists and media houses are civilian side, killing media workers and burning media houses are war crime.” Samandar, said.

“We are seriously concerned about safety of remaining journalists in a heavy fighting zone with no rescue operations”. He added.

AIJA leadership call on Taliban leadership and their foreign supporters to accept media and journalists as a civilians side and stop destroying and burning more stations and media houses.

All local media broadcasting and telecommunication services are stopped in past 3 days. Media offices are closed and journalists have no access to their offices. AIJA has lost communications with members, media workers and journalists in this province.

Hundreds of civilians, security officials and Taliban are killed and hundreds others are injured in heavy fightings and main roads to the provincial capital are closed from both sides, Kabul and Kandahar.

Taliban started heavy fighting on Friday night and controlled a strategic high location, where all local media broadcasting antennas were burn downed and RTA technician Mohammad Dawood was killed with four security persons.