3 Suspects Arrested in Yama Siawash Case: MoI

Andarabi said that a serious investigation is underway into the incident in collaboration with the NDS.

Security forces have arrested three suspects for involvement in the Nov. 7 blast that killed three people, including former TOLOnews anchor Yama Siawash, the interior minister Massoud Andarabi said in a meeting on Sunday.

The meeting was attended by members of the joint committee of the government and the media led by Second Vice President Sarwar Danesh, his office said in a statement.

Recent attacks on journalists and civil society activists were discussed and security agencies reported on their actions for the incidents.

Danesh said the recent incidents have been shocking for the people in which known figures were targeted.

He said such incidents should not be ignored and serious measures should be taken to prevent them.

Andarabi said that a serious investigation is underway into the incident in collaboration with the National Directorate of Security.

He said that he has held meetings with Siawash’s family and the heads of some media outlets to discuss the incident.

He said that one “terrorist” was arrested in connection with the attack on Elyas Daee, a Radio Azadi reporter, who was killed in Helmand on Nov. 12.

He said that one member of the Taliban has been identified in connection with the killing of Rahmatullah Nekzad, a freelance reporter who was killed in Ghazni last week.

Andarabi said that an investigation is underway into the death of Ariana News presenter Fardin Amini.

He said that two suspects have been arrested in connection with the attack on civil society activist Freshta Kohistani.

According to Andarabi, two suspects have been arrested in connection with the attack on Malala Maiwand, a reporter in Jalalabad who was killed this month.

Meanwhile, NDS officials in the meeting said that their findings show that the attack on Rahmatullah Nekzad and Freshta Kohistani were conducted by the Taliban, the statement said.

The officials said that members of three terrorist groups were arrested recently who were involved in targeted killings.