News / Afghanistan

Two female supreme court judges assassinated in Kabul

Sunday, 17 January 2021 9:21 AM [ Last Update: Sunday, 17 January 2021 9:21 AM ]

This image purportedly shows the scene of an attack on the vehicle carrying two women judges to work on January 17, 2021 in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Two female judges working in Afghanistan's Supreme Court have been gunned down in Kabul as a wave of assassinations grips the conflict-ridden country.

The judges were attacked and shot dead while commuting to work in a government vehicle, Ahmad Fahim Qaweem, a spokesman for the court told AFP.

“Unfortunately, we have lost two women judges in today's attack. Their driver is wounded," Qaweem said on Sunday, noting that more than 200 female judges worked for the top court.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

The killing of the judges is the latest in a string of assassinations targeting journalists, politicians and activists in the country that Afghan and US officials have blamed on the Taliban militants.

The Taliban, however, have denied the charges.

US military blames Taliban for recent assassinations in Afghanistan

The US military forces in Afghanistan blame the Taliban for a recent spate of deadly violence in the country.

Sunday’s attack comes as Afghan officials aim to find a way to end years of bloodshed in the country, engaging in negotiations with the Taliban since September.

The US reached a deal of its own with the Taliban in February last year on the withdrawal of the remaining 12,000 US troops from Afghanistan in exchange for the Taliban halting their attacks on international forces.

The deal was supposed to reduce the bloodshed, but insecurity and violence continue to take a heavy toll across the country.

Daesh, a Takfiri terror group also active in Afghanistan, has claimed responsibility for some of the targeted killings, which have surged in recent months and created fear and chaos especially in Kabul.

Afghanistan has been occupied by foreign forces since the 2001 US invasion.

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