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| Vibrant Lives of Afghan TV Crew, Erased in a Taliban Bombing | Vibrant Lives of Afghan TV Crew, Erased in a Taliban Bombing |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| KABUL, Afghanistan — One was a young graphic designer planning a wedding. Another was an editor who made documentaries in his free time and dreamed of winning an Oscar. A third employee’s child died last year, and he posted pictures of the child on Facebook to keep the child’s memory alive. | |
| They had finished a day’s work at Tolo TV, one of Afghanistan’s largest entertainment channels, when they boarded a company bus in Kabul on Wednesday that was rammed by a car driven by a Taliban suicide bomber. Seven | |
| people were killed and at least 25 wounded in the attack. | |
| The Taliban had been saying for months that Tolo TV was a “military target” because it had broadcast what the militants said were exaggerated reports about Taliban fighters committing crimes in Kunduz, the northern city the militants seized briefly last fall. Tolo TV and its parent company, the Moby Group, took some security measures in response, but hoped that the threat would turn out to be no more than routine. | The Taliban had been saying for months that Tolo TV was a “military target” because it had broadcast what the militants said were exaggerated reports about Taliban fighters committing crimes in Kunduz, the northern city the militants seized briefly last fall. Tolo TV and its parent company, the Moby Group, took some security measures in response, but hoped that the threat would turn out to be no more than routine. |
| The bombing was the first the Taliban has claimed against a media group. It highlighted the risks faced by media professionals in a country that has been one of the deadliest for journalists. | The bombing was the first the Taliban has claimed against a media group. It highlighted the risks faced by media professionals in a country that has been one of the deadliest for journalists. |
| Colleagues and relatives described the victims on Thursday as creative young minds who had worked for several years to establish Tolo TV as one of the most vibrant entertainment outlets in the country. After the attack, the Taliban issued a statement calling Tolo TV “an intelligence network” and “the country’s largest network for promoting obscenity, irreligiousness, foreign culture and nudity.” | Colleagues and relatives described the victims on Thursday as creative young minds who had worked for several years to establish Tolo TV as one of the most vibrant entertainment outlets in the country. After the attack, the Taliban issued a statement calling Tolo TV “an intelligence network” and “the country’s largest network for promoting obscenity, irreligiousness, foreign culture and nudity.” |
| Saad Mohseni, the chairman and chief executive of the Moby Group, insisted on Thursday that “the voices of those who we have lost will not be forgotten, and the voice of Afghanistan will not be silenced by this incident.” | Saad Mohseni, the chairman and chief executive of the Moby Group, insisted on Thursday that “the voices of those who we have lost will not be forgotten, and the voice of Afghanistan will not be silenced by this incident.” |
| Media activists also vowed that the attack would not deter their work, even though about 50 Afghan and foreign reporters and media professionals have been killed in Afghanistan over the last 14 years, according to Sediqullah Tawhidi, the head of Nai, a media support group. | Media activists also vowed that the attack would not deter their work, even though about 50 Afghan and foreign reporters and media professionals have been killed in Afghanistan over the last 14 years, according to Sediqullah Tawhidi, the head of Nai, a media support group. |
| “The Taliban think they can stop the wheel of the free press with such attacks,” Mr. Tawhidi said. “But our journalists have repeatedly shown that they cannot be stopped.” | “The Taliban think they can stop the wheel of the free press with such attacks,” Mr. Tawhidi said. “But our journalists have repeatedly shown that they cannot be stopped.” |
| Most of those who were killed Wednesday were the sole breadwinners of their families, going about their daily lives. “We should not forget that these people were simply returning home after a day at work, no more, no less,” Mr. Mohseni of the Moby Group said. | Most of those who were killed Wednesday were the sole breadwinners of their families, going about their daily lives. “We should not forget that these people were simply returning home after a day at work, no more, no less,” Mr. Mohseni of the Moby Group said. |
| Mohammad Jawad Hussaini, 28, an editor, had left work earlier than usual to make sure he had a seat on the bus, which he had ridden home for seven years. He still had two videos to edit and upload on YouTube, but he had promised his boss he would finish the task the next morning. | Mohammad Jawad Hussaini, 28, an editor, had left work earlier than usual to make sure he had a seat on the bus, which he had ridden home for seven years. He still had two videos to edit and upload on YouTube, but he had promised his boss he would finish the task the next morning. |
| As the news of the explosion spread, on the far side of the city, Mr. Hussaini’s mother became worried and phoned to check on him, which parents in Kabul find themselves doing almost daily as the Taliban steps up its attacks. “She called him many times, but he didn’t pick up,” said Mr. Hussaini’s brother Mohammad Wasikh Hussaini. | As the news of the explosion spread, on the far side of the city, Mr. Hussaini’s mother became worried and phoned to check on him, which parents in Kabul find themselves doing almost daily as the Taliban steps up its attacks. “She called him many times, but he didn’t pick up,” said Mr. Hussaini’s brother Mohammad Wasikh Hussaini. |
| An hour later, the phone rang: Someone had pulled the SIM card out of Mr. Hussaini’s burned phone and dialed his mother’s number. Your son is among the casualties, she was told — rush to the hospital. But which one? Was he wounded or dead? A frantic search took his family and friends from hospital to hospital and morgue to morgue, viewing bodies burned beyond recognition. | An hour later, the phone rang: Someone had pulled the SIM card out of Mr. Hussaini’s burned phone and dialed his mother’s number. Your son is among the casualties, she was told — rush to the hospital. But which one? Was he wounded or dead? A frantic search took his family and friends from hospital to hospital and morgue to morgue, viewing bodies burned beyond recognition. |
| “One of Jawad’s teeth was chipped,” said Ali Sayyed Hussaini, a friend who also works a reporter for another local channel who joined in the search. “I scraped the burns from the teeth of the male bodies, and it wasn’t Jawad. It gave us hope that he could still be alive.” | “One of Jawad’s teeth was chipped,” said Ali Sayyed Hussaini, a friend who also works a reporter for another local channel who joined in the search. “I scraped the burns from the teeth of the male bodies, and it wasn’t Jawad. It gave us hope that he could still be alive.” |
| It proved false. Jawad Hussaini lay dead at a hospital, and his body was transferred to a morgue in west Kabul. It was badly burned and still bleeding more than 15 hours after he was killed in the blast, and morgue workers who were trying to clean the remains kept having to change the shroud. Finally, they wrapped the body in plastic. | It proved false. Jawad Hussaini lay dead at a hospital, and his body was transferred to a morgue in west Kabul. It was badly burned and still bleeding more than 15 hours after he was killed in the blast, and morgue workers who were trying to clean the remains kept having to change the shroud. Finally, they wrapped the body in plastic. |
| “He was a very a creative man,” said Mohammed Jamil Sediq, another friend, who had known Mr. Hussaini from college when they both studied political science. Mr. Hussaini started working at Tolo when he was still a student, to pay his fees. | “He was a very a creative man,” said Mohammed Jamil Sediq, another friend, who had known Mr. Hussaini from college when they both studied political science. Mr. Hussaini started working at Tolo when he was still a student, to pay his fees. |
| “He made short films in his free time, outside work,” Mr. Sediq said. “I joked with him that once one of his films made it to the Oscars, he won’t even take me as a secretary, let alone a friend.” | “He made short films in his free time, outside work,” Mr. Sediq said. “I joked with him that once one of his films made it to the Oscars, he won’t even take me as a secretary, let alone a friend.” |
| Jawad’s brother expressed frustration with the government, but promised that revenge for his death would come from a surprising source. | Jawad’s brother expressed frustration with the government, but promised that revenge for his death would come from a surprising source. |
| “Our sister is a second lieutenant in the army, she is a lioness,” he said. “They killed our brother in the trench of freedom, but she will avenge it.” | “Our sister is a second lieutenant in the army, she is a lioness,” he said. “They killed our brother in the trench of freedom, but she will avenge it.” |
| Another of the victims of the bus attack was Mehri Azizi, who started at Tolo TV as a teenager and had risen to lead the graphics department, though she was just 22. Colleagues described her as someone who was always on the move. She was a beloved only daughter, and when she returned recently from a three-day business trip abroad, the whole family was at the airport to greet her. | Another of the victims of the bus attack was Mehri Azizi, who started at Tolo TV as a teenager and had risen to lead the graphics department, though she was just 22. Colleagues described her as someone who was always on the move. She was a beloved only daughter, and when she returned recently from a three-day business trip abroad, the whole family was at the airport to greet her. |
| Mohammed Naim, a pharmacist and neighbor, said it was Ms. Azizi’s uncle who got the call about the bus attack. When Mr. Naim and other neighbors rushed to the hospital, Ms. Azizi’s parents were already there, he said; both had passed out after seeing their daughter’s burned body. | Mohammed Naim, a pharmacist and neighbor, said it was Ms. Azizi’s uncle who got the call about the bus attack. When Mr. Naim and other neighbors rushed to the hospital, Ms. Azizi’s parents were already there, he said; both had passed out after seeing their daughter’s burned body. |
| Five days before, Ms. Azizi had agreed to marry a well-educated cousin, but the formal engagement was postponed by a week, to Friday, because of a death in her extended family. | Five days before, Ms. Azizi had agreed to marry a well-educated cousin, but the formal engagement was postponed by a week, to Friday, because of a death in her extended family. |
| “Everyone was madly in love with her great attitude,” said her cousin Azizullah. “She has left us burned, numb.” | “Everyone was madly in love with her great attitude,” said her cousin Azizullah. “She has left us burned, numb.” |