Afghan Policewoman Killed On Way To Work Amid Targeted Killing Rise

An Afghan official says a female police officer has been gunned down in the eastern city of Jalalabad, the latest reported killing targeting women in the provincial capital.

Provincial police spokesman Fared Khan said the officer was shot and wounded as she was headed to work on April 1. She later died in the hospital.

Two suspects have been arrested by police, Khan said.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes amid a spike in targeted killings on government employees, academics, rights workers, and journalists as peace negotiations in Qatar between the Taliban and the Afghan government have stalled.

Women have not been spared from the wave of violence, especially in Jalalabad.

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On March 30, three women working to administer polio vaccines were killed in Jalalabad, Nangarhar Province’s capital.

Earlier last month, the Islamic State extremist group claimed responsibility for the killing of three female employees of a privately owned media outlet, also in Jalalabad.

Many other killings have gone unclaimed.

Afghan and U.S. officials blame the Taliban, which has denied involvement in many cases.

Also on April 1, Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said three Afghan security personnel were killed when a military helicopter made an emergency landing in the restive province of Helmand the previous day.

The ministry said the helicopter crashed after facing “technical problems” while the Taliban claimed its fighters shot down the aircraft.

The incident comes weeks after nine members of the Afghan security forces were killed when a military helicopter was shot down in the central province of Maidan Wardak.

Based on reporting AP and TOLOnews