Afghan parliament adviser and former journalist killed in Kabul
Mina Mangal was shot at close range by unknown assailants when she was on her way to work in Afghan capital.
Unidentified attackers killed an adviser to the country’s parliament in the Afghan capital Kabul on Saturday, the government said.
Mina Mangal was on her way to work at about 7:30 am local time (03:00GMT) when assailants shot her at close range, the country’s Ministry of Interior said in a statement.
Nusrat Rahimi, the ministry spokesman, said the attackers fled the scene and police have launched an investigation.
There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the killing.
Both the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) and Taliban members regularly carry out attacks in the capital.
Kabul police said it was unclear whether the killing was committed by one of those groups or if it was as a result of a personal dispute.
The former TV presenter was a recognizable face to many Afghans in Kabul. In a social media post last week, Mangal said she had received death threats, but did not share details.
Members of Afghan civil society groups have called for a robust investigation into Mangal’s killing and want the government to provide better safety for journalists.
Afghanistan was named the deadliest country for journalists in 2018 by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
It said a total of 15 journalists and media workers were killed in a series of bombings that began early last year, with nine of them in a single day, on April 30.