KABUL, Afghanistan

A leading Afghan female journalist was gunned down by unknown assailants in eastern Nangarhar province on Thursday, officials confirmed.

The incident took place when Malalai Maiwand of the local Enekas radio and TV network was heading to her office in a vehicle along with her driver in the provincial capital Jalalabad.

Both Maiwand and her driver died on the spot, while armed attackers fled the site of the attack.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Attaullah Khogyani, the governor’s spokesman, told Anadolu Agency the incident took place during the morning rush-hour.

“We have launched our investigations into [the killing]”, he added.

Sami Patmen, one of Maiwand’s former colleague, expressed grief over the attack and said the targeted killing of the journalist has sent shockwaves across the fraternity in the war-ridden country.

“The journalists, especially female, were already terrified due to the prevailing insecurity, and now with her martyrdom, they would find extremely hard to come out of their home and work,” he told Anadolu Agency.

The attack, third of its kind in a month, has been widely condemned by the Afghan government, journalist fraternity and representatives of the international community in Kabul.

Last month, a leading journalist was gunned down in southern Helmand province while a Kabul-based journalist lost his life to a magnetic bomb attached to his car in the capital.

Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani dubbed the killing of Malalai Maiwand as “inhumane and unforgivable” act.

"The followers of ignorance and brutality cannot silence and undermine the freedom of expression, which is an inalienable right of Afghans under the clear provisions of the constitution, with such brazen attacks", he said in a statement.