星期一，阿富汗首都喀布尔发生连环自杀炸弹袭击，炸死至少26人，包括九名新闻从业者。还有至少50人受伤，包括五名新闻从业者。
“伊斯兰国”通过其“阿马克”(Amaq)通讯社宣称对袭击负责，这是对阿富汗境内媒体工作者所进行的最为致命的袭击。
当地媒体观察组织“阿富汗记者安全委员会”(AJSC)证明有记者死亡，并强烈谴责袭击。
死难者中有两名女记者，包括自由欧洲电台/自由电台(RFE/RL)的玛哈兰姆·杜拉尼。法新社(AFP)证实法新社驻喀布尔的首席摄影师沙阿·马拉伊丧生。两名自由欧洲电台的男性员工阿卜杜拉·哈南扎伊和阿巴乌恩·卡卡尔也遇难身亡。
阿富汗电视新闻一台(1 TV News)也证实有两名员工在星期一的袭击事件中遇难。
阿富汗当局和目击者说，袭击开始于早晨的交通高峰期。一名骑着摩托车的自杀炸弹手在阿富汗情报机构国家安全局附近引爆自尽。
喀布尔警方发言人哈施迈特‧伊斯塔尼卡扎伊说，几分钟后，当救援工作者和媒体人员聚集在现场时，伪装成记者的第二名炸弹手引爆了缠在自己身上的爆炸物，多数伤亡都是由此人引起的。
美国之音(VOA)发表声明，对同属美国国际广播局的自由欧洲电台/自由电台的新闻工作者在喀布尔爆炸事件中遇难表示哀悼。声明说：“5月3日就是世界新闻自由日，今天的悲剧提醒人们新闻从业者每天为全球受众带来准确、客观和可靠的消息时所面对的危险。”
驻阿美军和北约非作战使团的指挥官约翰·尼科尔森上将说：“我们以最强烈的方式谴责两名自杀炸弹手在喀布尔进行的懦夫式的袭击，袭击导致阿富汗部队和无辜阿富汗平民、包括新闻从业者的伤亡。”
在喀布尔袭击事件的几个小时后，一名身份不明的枪手在边境城市霍斯特打死了英国广播公司(BBC)在当地的新闻从业者艾哈迈德·沙赫。
阿富汗塔利班发表声明，否认卷入喀布尔和霍斯特的袭击事件。
A twin suicide bombing Monday in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul killed at least 26 people, including nine journalists. At least 50 people were wounded, including five journalists.
Islamic State through its Amaq news agency claimed responsibility for the deadliest ever assault on media workers in Afghanistan.
Local media watchdog, Afghan Journalist Safety Committee (AJSC), while confirming the media-related fatalities, strongly condemned the attack.
Two female journalists, including Maharram Durrani from RFE/RL, were among the dead. French news agency AFP has confirmed the death of its chief photographer in Kabul, Shah Marai. Two male staffers from RFE, Abadullah Hananzai and Abawoon Kakar, were also killed.
A leading Afghan television station, 1 TV News, has also confirmed the killing of two staffers in Monday’s attack.
Afghan authorities and witnesses said the attack began during early morning rush hour with a suicide bomber on motorbike blowing himself up near an office of the National Directorate of Security, the country’s intelligence agency.
When rescue workers and media crews gathered at the site minutes later, a second bomber disguised as a journalist detonated explosives strapped to his body, causing most of the casualties, said Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Istanikzai.
In a statement, VOA said it was saddened by the loss of journalists from its sister network, RFE/RL, in the Kabul blasts. “With World Press Freedom Day on May 3, today’s tragedy is a reminder of the dangers that journalists face every day to bring global audiences accurate, objective and reliable news,” the statement said.
General John Nicholson, who commands U.S. forces and NATO’s non-combatant mission in the country, said, “We condemn in the strongest terms possible the cowardly attacks in Kabul by two suicide bombers that killed and injured Afghan forces and innocent Afghan citizens, including journalists.”
Hours after the attack in Kabul, unknown gunmen killed a local BBC journalist, Ahmad Shah, in the border city of Khost.
The Afghan Taliban issued a statement denying involvement in the attacks in Kabul and Khost.