The killing of Dawa Khan Menapal, head of the Government Media and Information Center, was the latest in a series aimed at weakening President Ashraf Ghani's democratically elected government.

In a tweet, United States Charge d'Affaires Ross Wilson said he was saddened and disgusted by the death of Menapal, whom he called a friend who provided truthful information to all Afghans.

"These murders are an affront to Afghans’ human rights & freedom of speech," he said.

Scores of social activists, journalists, bureaucrats, judges and public figures fighting to sustain a liberal Islamic administration have been assassinated by Taliban fighters in a bid to silence voices of dissent in the war-torn country.

Fighting to reimpose strict Islamic law after their 2001 ousting by US-led forces, the Taliban have stepped up their campaign to defeat the US-backed government as foreign forces complete their withdrawal after 20 years of war.

An official in the federal Interior Ministry said "the savage terrorists killed" Menapal during Friday prayers.

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