KABUL, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- A dozen journalists and reporters have been killed in insurgency-plagued Afghanistan since January this year.
Nematullah Zaheer, an Afghan journalist working for a local television, became the latest victim on Friday. He was killed in a roadside bomb in the southern Helmand province while covering security situation there.
Denouncing attacks on journalists, the country's union of journalists - Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC), in a statement, called on the government to protect the life and properties of journalists in the country.
"The current year, 2016, has been registered as the bloodiest year for journalists as 12 journalists have been killed in the country and violence against journalists is on rise," the AJSC said.
In mid October, another journalist, Yaqub Sharafat, was gunned down by unknown armed men in Zabul province and the culprits made their good escape.
A violent attack on journalists claimed the lives of two more reporters including Afghan journalist Zabihullah Tamana and an American reporter in Helmand province early in June this year.
Moreover, a suicide bombing for which Taliban claimed responsibility killed seven staff of the private Tolo television, Afghanistan's first 24-hour news channel, in January 2016.
"I am personally concerned over security threats against journalists and government's failure to ensure their security would claim more lives of journalists and eventually damage the development of media in the country," Afghan journalist Abdullah told Xinhua.
