Afghanistan: Taliban Raids Homes of 3 German Journalists, Kills Relative of 1

The Taliban is conducting "door-to-door visits" to their opponents – persons who worked with the US and NATO forces.

Taliban fighters patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Thursday, August 19, 2021. Image used for representation purpose.

(Photo Courtesy: PTI)

Days after seizing power of Afghanistan, militant organisation Taliban has killed a kinsman of a journalist of the German state-funded media house, Deutsche Welle. Another relative of the journalist, who is presently in Germany, has also been maimed, news agency AFP reported, citing DW sources.

The Taliban has been conducting "targeted door-to-door visits" for their opponents – persons who worked with the US and NATO forces alongside the Afghanistan government – AFP reported on Friday, 20 August, citing a United Nations document.

DW Director General Peter Limbourg expressed his condolences over the death, indicating that it testifies the grave danger posed to journalists and their families in crisis-ridden Afghanistan.

"It is evident that the Taliban are already carrying out organized searches for journalists, both in Kabul and in the provinces. We are running out of time," he was quoted as saying by AFP.

The homes of three other DW journalists have also been raided by the insurgents.

In July, Indian photojournalist Danish Siddiqui been killed by the Taliban in Kandahar.

In addition to Taliban's house-to-house search missions, persons attempting to leave the country through the Kabul airport are also being screened by the militants.

The conduction of the reported search mission confirms the widespread fears that the Taliban would renege on its recently-announced promise of general amnesty and security for all.

The Taliban does not have enmity towards anyone, and based on its leader's orders, it has pardoned everyone, the group's spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid had told the media in Kabul on Tuesday.

(With inputs from AFP)