Journalists Killed in 2016 - Motive Confirmed: Naimatullah Zaheer
| Publisher | Committee to Protect Journalists |
| Publication Date | 31 December 2016 |
| Cite as | Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists Killed in 2016 - Motive Confirmed: Naimatullah Zaheer, 31 December 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/586e04614.html [accessed 28 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Naimatullah Zaheer
Ariana News
November 4, 2016, in Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province, Afghanistan
Naimatullah Zaheer was killed on November 4, 2016, by roadside bomb in the southern province of Helmand. He was 38 years old.
Zaheer and a group of local reporters were travelling to an area in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand, where the Afghan military had fought with the Taliban the previous night, when their vehicle came under fire. Following advice from police, the group drove off the main road. Shortly thereafter, the journalists' vehicle hit a makeshift bomb. The blast killed Zaheer and seriously wounded his driver, Abdul Mannaf, according to news reports.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.
Zaheer graduated from Kabul University in 2003 with a degree in journalism. He had worked as a reporter for more than a decade and had been with Ariana News Television Networks for eight years. While at Ariana News, Zaheer reported on security, social, political, and cultural issues in Helmand province, according to a statement published by the TV network, which described him as "a dedicated and hardworking provincial reporter."
Zaheer left behind a wife, three sons, and a daughter.
| Medium: | Television |
| Job: | Broadcast Reporter |
| Beats Covered: | Culture, Politics, War |
| Gender: | Male |
| Local or Foreign: | Local |
| Freelance: | No |
| Type of Death: | Crossfire/Combat-Related |
| Suspected Source of Fire: | Political Group |
