The United States “strongly condemned” the assassination of Dawa Khan Menapal, the head of the Afghan government’s media department. The denouncement of the attack was passed on by White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.

“On behalf of the government, I strongly condemn the assassination of Dawa Khan Menapal, the director of Afghan govt media information centre. His murder follows the bombing attack in Kabul earlier this week that targeted the acting Afghan Defence minister”, Psaki said in a press briefing on Friday, according to reports from news agency ANI.

Dawa Khan Menapal, who was earlier the spokesperson in Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, was shot dead in a mosque, according to reports from AFP citing Afghanistan’s law enforcement authorities.

Psaki also noted that the Taliban had already claimed the responsibility for the deadly attack while further affirming that there were “credible reports” that highlighted “atrocities & retaliation against civilians in other Taliban controlled areas”.

The White House, according to the statements made by Psaki, was concerned about such acts has been “closely tracking” them.

“Unfortunately, the savage terrorists have committed a cowardly act once again and martyred a patriotic Afghan,” interior ministry spokesman Mirwais Stanikzai said of the death of Dawa Khan Menapal in a statement. 

“He (Menapal) was a young man who stood like a mountain in the face of enemy propaganda, and who was always a major supporter of the (Afghan) regime,” he continued. 

The situation in Afghanistan has gained hostility as since US President Joe Biden announced that the country would fast-track the process of recalling its troops. The announcement pushed the Taliban and Afghanistan government is a scramble for control of the region.

Even though the United States armed forces are set to exit the war-torn country, top diplomats have attempted to maintain a stronghold to back the democratically elected Afghan government.