Amid a dramatic surge of targeted killings in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, unknown gunmen on Wednesday night assassinated an Afghan Air Force (AAF) pilot and a security officer in the Ministry of Interior. There was also a civilian death reportedly connected to one of these targeted killings.
The name of the slain pilot has not been released yet, nor the name of the killed civilian, but the security officer--who guarded VIPs in the Afghan government--was named Arash Siyar.
Siyar was a member of the directorate of protection and security for government officials, and his family accused security agencies of failing to stop the targeted killings in the country.
Siyar’s family said that he was engaged and was preparing to marry next spring.
Siyar was assassinated on Wednesday night in Qala-e-Wahid in PD13 in front of his house.
“Everyday there is killing and destruction. My brother was not an ordinary man, he was a government servant, he had a job in the Presidential Palace,” said Shoaib, Arash’s brother.
“If they can't handle these things, then, for God sake, step down from your posts. How long should the people suffer?” said Parwiz, Arash’s friend.
Public outrage
“Even a five-year-old child in Afghanistan believes that they (govt) are a failed govt, they are not able to run the country, they are not able to provide security for the people--even the security of their security officers,” said Jamshid, a resident in Kabul.
Meanwhile, in another incident in PD5 of the city, unknown gunmen assassinated an Afghan Air Force pilot and wounded another one.
“The Taliban are behind the recent spate of assassinations--the Taliban and the Haqqani network, which is part of the Taliban. They are conducting their terrorist activities under the cover of Daesh,” said Tariq Arian, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior.
Some civil society activists at a gathering on Tuesday said that they are concerned about an increase in threats against them and the media community, and said that the government needs to pay more attention to ensuring their safety.
The activists called on anti-government armed groups to stop their threats against civilians, civil society and media workers.
A report indicates that four anchors, three reporters and a cameraman have lost their lives in terrorist incidents in various parts of the country in 2020. This number was similar to 2019 but the level of threats to journalists and media workers has been unprecedentedly high in recent months and continues unabated.
The Afghanistan Journalists Center, in a report published Saturday, says in 2020 Daesh was responsible for killing two anchors, the Taliban was responsible for killing one reporter and a cameraman, and unknown armed men were responsible for killing two anchors.
Afghan and foreign officials have also strongly condemned the targeted killings, saying these attacks are not acceptable.