Afghanistan: US condoles media head's assassination, expresses 'disgust' at Taliban

US Charge d'Affaires to Afghanistan Ross Wilson expressed his condolences over the killing of Afghanistan's media head Dawa Khan Minapal on Friday and communicated his 'disgust' at the Taliban's actions. 

While capturing the Afghan provincial capital, Zaranj, a group of Taliban militants ambushed and gunned down the government’s top media officer in Kabul. Dawa Khan Menapal, director of the Media and Information Centre of the Afghanistan government was assassinated on Darul Aman Road in the Afghan capital on Friday afternoon. The militant group had warned that it would target senior administration officials in retaliation to airstrikes conducted by Afghani government forces.  

Following the attack, the US Charge d'Affaires to Afghanistan wrote on Twitter, "We are saddened & disgusted by the Taliban’s targeted killing of Dawa Khan Meenapal, a friend and colleague, whose career was focused on providing truthful information to all Afghans about #Afghanistan (sic).”  He added, “These murders are an affront to Afghans' human rights & freedom of speech." 

“Unfortunately, the savage terrorists have committed a cowardly act once again and martyred a patriotic Afghan,” Afghanistan’s interior ministry spokesman Mirwais Stanikzai announced in a statement. 

Dawa Khan Menapal had served the Afghani regime in Kandahar since 2015 and had worked as the deputy presidential spokesman in Afghanistan between 2016 and 2020. The assassinated Afghani media head had also served as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s spokesman and was known to be an acclaimed journalist. He was a trusted member of President Ghani and the Afghan government's inner circle. 

Taliban captures first provincial capital

The assassination of Afghanistan’s government media centre head, days after a failed assassination plot against Afghanistan’s acting defence minister, corresponded with the Taliban advancing and capturing a provincial capital at the Iran border — the city of Zaranj in southern Nimroz province. The terror group described the feat as a ‘symbolic victory’.

Meanwhile, the Afghan government has stated that Zaranj had not fallen yet and a fierce battle between the country's military and Taliban was underway. While Zaranj has close to 5,000 residents, Nimroz is a sparsely populated region comprising mostly of deserts.

The Taliban posted images of the entrance to the city from the city’s main airport as they declared victory. The province’s governor, Abdul Karim Barahawi has fled the city and sought refuge at Chahar Burjak district under the protection of the Baluch population.

Following the withdrawal of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban has carried out regular offensives against the government. The south-central Asian county continues to witness fierce fighting between Afghan forces and the Taliban in key areas in the country.