A spokesperson for the health ministry confirmed that 8 journalists, including an AFP photographer, are among 25 people killed in double suicide blasts in the Afghan capital. The injured toll from the Kabul attack stands at 45, according to city's police spokesman.
READ MORE: Explosion Shakes Afghan Capital — Reports (VIDEO)
#KABUL — At least 25 people were killed and more than 45 others were wounded in #Kabul blast on Monday morning, security officials confirmed. pic.twitter.com/THNvaDrPM0
— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) April 30, 2018
According to French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), the second explosion in Kabul had claimed the life of one of its photographers, Shah Marai. The agency also said that journalists of TOLOnews, 1TV and Al Jazeera were also among the casualties of the blast.
#UPDATE Agence France-Presse's chief photographer in Kabul, Shah Marai, has been killed.
— AFP news agency (@AFP) April 30, 2018
He died in a blast that was targeting a group of journalists who had rushed to the scene of a suicide attack in the Afghan capital pic.twitter.com/rOa4rg24x9
Journalists of @TOLOnews, Jahan TV, @1TVNewsAF, Mashal TV and a photo journalist of @AFP, Shah Marai, were reportedly dead in today's two consecutive suicide bombings in Shash Darak of Kabul. For which sin they kill us? why..?@saadmohseni @LNajafizada @NaiAfghanistan pic.twitter.com/Yei10LMkIw
— Haanya Malik (@MalikHaanya) April 30, 2018
The Daesh terrorist groups has claimed responsibility for the attacks.
Afghanistan's President Asharf Ghani has vehemently condemned the terrorist attacks in Kabul, calling the blasts, which targeted "innocent civilians, worshippers inside the mosques, national and democratic processes, reporters and freedom of speech," "war crimes."
Later in the day, the BBC confirmed that its reporter, Ahmad Shah, had been killed in the eastern Afghan province of Khost, following two suicide blasts in the capital that claimed lives of 8 journalists.
"This is a devastating loss and I send my sincere condolences to Ahmad Shah’s friends and family and the whole BBC Afghan team. We are doing all we can to support his family at this very difficult time," the broadcaster wrote in its Twitter account.
BBC journalist Ahmad Shah, who was killed earlier today. pic.twitter.com/ISxNiEYd0I
— BBC News Press Team (@BBCNewsPR) April 30, 2018
Half an hour later, a second explosion occured beside journalists who had gathered to report on the first blast.
Earlier in the day, a police officer was reportedly killed and five persons injured following a mine explosion in the country's Nangarhar province.
