Afghanistan: Bomb explodes near Kabul Russia embassy

“Our office bus taking TOLO staff home came under attack”, a reporter at the channel told AFP, requesting anonymity.

At least seven dead and many wounded as suicide bomber targets vehicle carrying several people.

In a statement to Al-Jazeera, the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

“The enemy of peace and Afghan people have martyred my colleagues”, Fawad Aman, a well-known TOLO TV anchor, wrote on his Facebook page. Last year, the Taliban had declared one of the media group’s flagship stations, Tolo News, a legitimate target and accused it of promoting immorality and foreign culture.

It particularly cited allegations of rape and other crimes against the group during the Taliban’s brief capture of the northern city of Kunduz in September.

“The targeting of journalists reflects a depraved strategy to make media freedom a casualty of the ongoing conflict”, said Patricia Gossman, senior Afghanistan researcher.

Vice President Biden and President Ashraf Ghani condemned the Charsada terror attack and conveyed their grief over the loss of precious lives.

Saad Mohseni, the owner of Tolo and the country’s largest media mogul, said in a statement on Thursday the journalists killed were working to uphold freedom of speech in Afghanistan.

Separately yesterday, the United States government issued a warning that it had received reports militants were planning to attack a hotel or guesthouse frequented by foreigners in Kabul.

The attack targeted TOLO News, Aghanistan’s 24-hour news channel, during rush hour close to the Russian embassy.

The war shows no sign of abating, with the Taliban challenging Afghan forces on a number of fronts since the US and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation formally concluded their combat mission at the end of past year.

A 2014 study by Altai Consulting found that 175 radio and 75 television stations had been set up since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban, who ran the country from 1996-2001.

In recent months, Taliban militants have intensified their attacks on government and foreign targets in Afghanistan. It has been actively covering the fighting between national security forces and Taliban insurgents.