TOLOnews’ cameraman Ramiz Ahmadi and reporter Samim Faramarz lost their lives while covering a suicide bombing in Qala-e-Nazer in PD6 in Kabul on Wednesday night.
The two staffers were killed in a secondary bombing that targeted first responders and journalists.
Family, friends and colleagues accompanied Ahmadi’s coffin to Khawjah Musafir on Paghman district of Kabul on Thursday morning – where he was buried.
Devastated family members told what a polite and well-mannered young man he was – and that he sacrificed his life from freedom of press.
“My brother was burnt, he is gone because of these oppressors,” said Ahmadi’s brother Haroon.
His father said: “Besides working for TOLOnews, he was also going to university; he was supporting me at home, he was very polite and had good ethics,” said Ramiz’s father Norullah.
Ahmadi had worked for TOLOnews for four years.
Colleagues also told recalled his happy personality and fellow cameraman Alim Kabiri said: “He had a smile on his face every moment, but today he is not with us.”
“He sacrificed his life to provide information to the people; because of providing awareness - he has not done anything wrong, may Allah accept his martyrdom,” said one religious scholar.
Born in 1994, Ramiz started his career as a journalist with TOLOnews four years ago and have filmed countless events across the country, especially war-related stories - during this period.
Ramiz was born during the war, raised during the war and killed during the war.
Ramiz was studying law at a private university.
“We had dreams to finish university and then go abroad to study further,” said Ramiz’s childhood friend Malang.
“When I first jointed TOLO TV, Ramiz was the first colleague who taught me about a camera, it is very difficult for me now to say something,” said Ramiz’s colleague Reza Hashemi.
“He was young, but he had a lot of dreams, he was always talking about his education and was his goal was to complete a Masters degree in the United States,” said Quddos Nawazi, another of Ramiz’s colleagues.
On Wednesday evening, the first of two explosions happened just after 6pm when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives inside the wrestling club.
An hour later a car bomb was triggered while first responders were attending to the scene.
Among those killed were Samim Faramarz and Ramiz Ahmadi. Several other reporters were injured.
The Afghan government, journalist community and media supporting organizations condemned the Kabul bombings and called the attack a crime against humanity while extending their condolences to the families of victims.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemned Wednesday night’s attack targeting civilians at a Kabul sports center which killed at least 22 civilians and wounded more than 75 others.
In addition, UNAMA expressed its deep concerns over the heavy price paid by the Afghan media, with the killing of journalists in Afghanistan being among the highest in the world.
“The United Nations extends deep condolences to families who lost loved ones and wishes a quick recovery to those injured,” UNAMA said in a statement.