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Taleban 'kill Afghan journalist'
The Taleban in Afghanistan say they have killed an Afghan reporter abducted last month with an Italian journalist.
The group said it had killed Ajmal Naqshbandi as the government had refused to meet their demands to release senior figures from prison.
The Italian reporter, Daniele Mastrogiacomo, was released after five Taleban members were freed in exchange.
The two reporters and their driver, who was earlier beheaded, were captured on 6 March in Helmand province.
Shohaabuddin Atal, a spokesman for Taleban commander Mullah Dadullah, said: "We killed Ajmal today because the government did not respond to our demands."
Italian deal
Ajmal Naqshbandi worked as a guide and translator for visiting foreign reporters.
He was abducted with Mr Mastrogiacomo and their driver at a Taleban checkpoint and originally accused of spying for the British army.
More
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6537097.stm
The Italian reporter, Daniele Mastrogiacomo, was released after five Taleban members were freed in exchange.
The two reporters and their driver, who was earlier beheaded, were captured on 6 March in Helmand province.
Shohaabuddin Atal, a spokesman for Taleban commander Mullah Dadullah, said: "We killed Ajmal today because the government did not respond to our demands."
Italian deal
Ajmal Naqshbandi worked as a guide and translator for visiting foreign reporters.
He was abducted with Mr Mastrogiacomo and their driver at a Taleban checkpoint and originally accused of spying for the British army.
More
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6537097.stm
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Ajmal Naqshbandi, a freelance journalist and translator, was kidnapped with Daniele Mastrogiacomo of the Italian daily La Repubblica, and a driver in southern Helmand province on 5 March. The driver was beheaded and Mastrogiacomo was freed on 19 March in exchange for five Taliban militants.
The Taliban made a similar demand in return for the release of Naqshbandi. " We asked for two Taliban commanders to be released in exchange for Ajmal Naqshbandi, but the government did not care for our demands, and today, at 3.05pm, we beheaded Ajmal in Garmsir district of Helmand province," said Shahabuddin Atal, who claimed to be a spokesman for the regional Taliban commander, Mullah Dadullah.
"When we demanded the exchange for the Italian journalist, the government released the prisoners, but for the Afghan journalist, the government did not care," Mr Atal said.
Tom Koenigs, the UN's special representative to Afghanistan, condemned the killing and called on the authorities to bring those responsible for Naqshbandi's death to justice.
The prisoner swap that secured Mastrogiacomo's release was widely criticised as an incentive for more militant kidnappings.
President Hamid Karzai defended the exchange, saying the case was threatening the survival of the Italian Prime Minister, Romano Prodi's, government. But he ruled out further swaps.
More
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2434934.ece