Already forced to operate in one of the world's most hostile environments for journalists, Afghan television stations are now being openly targeted by Islamist insurgents in a widening insurgency that threatens cities across the country.
The Taliban's brief capture of the northern city of Kunduz last month, the first time in 14 years of fighting it had taken a provincial centre, underlined how far its military strength has grown since Nato forces ended combat operations last year.
Amid reports of summary executions, kidnappings and other abuses, the Taliban also issued a grim warning to two Afghan television stations, Tolo News and 1 TV, designating them as "military objectives".
Both stations had reported allegations of rape by Taliban fighters during the fighting in Kunduz, incensing the militant Islamist movement, which accused them of spearheading a US-sponsored propaganda campaign. It said reporters and offices of the channels would be considered "enemy personnel" and would be "eliminated".
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