Islamabad, Kabul, Washington upbeat at Afghan peace process

Wreckage is seen at the site of a blast, in an area close to the Russian embassy in the west of the capital of Kabul, Afghanistan.

But the Taliban quickly claimed responsibility and said they had specifically targeted Tolo TV, calling it an “spy agency” and saying they had made good on earlier threats to attack the station.

The Taliban ruled the country from 1991 until it was ousted by the USA invasion in 2003.

“Henceforth no employee, anchor, office, news team and reporter of these TV channels holds any immunity”, the statement said.

DAMASCUS – At least 3,000 people have been killed in Russian airstrikes in Syria since September 30 of past year, a Syrian monitor group reported on Wednesday. At least seven people were killed and 25 were wounded in the explosion late Wednesay.

The quadrilateral mechanism of Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the U.S. is now discussing a roadmap to restart the peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban groups.

Hours after the blast, however, a news anchor at Tolo TV, Afghanistan’s most popular television station and a division of the company, addressed the unidentified assailants and said, “You can not silence our voice”.

The Indian and Pakistani missions have also recently been targeted. “We offer our deepest condolences to the victims of the attacks and to their families”.

“Attacks aimed at crushing independent media organizations in Afghanistan are a direct assault on the very foundation of Afghan democracy, a free and open press”, said the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.

The White House condemned the attack and one in Pakistan at a university.

Anti-government insurgency groups should immediately stop intentionally targeting civilians, Human Rights Watch said today. AIJA strongly condemns this attack and calls on worldwide organisations to join the wider condemnation.

Under previous rules, the USA military was able to conduct airstrikes in Afghanistan in three circumstances: to protect foreign forces; to help Afghan troops ward off an enemy onslaught; and to target al-Qaida and affiliated militants.