The UN refugee agency announced the arrest of two journalists associated with it in Kabul.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees announced on Friday that two foreign journalists and several Afghan citizens who were on a mission for the organization in Afghanistan have been arrested in Kabul.

The UN body says it will do its utmost to resolve the issue, but has declined to comment further on the matter.

Although the UNHCR did not name the detainees, one of them is reportedly former BBC journalist Andrew North.

Since the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, the situation of freedom of expression and the media has been one of the areas that has faced serious challenges, and many Afghan journalists have been forced to leave the country.

Meanwhile, a number of journalists and media activists have also been arrested in Afghanistan in the past few months.

Last week, Sharif Hassanyar, head of the private Ariana TV channel in Kabul, wrote on his Twitter account that Aslam Hijab and Waris Hasrat, two reporters on the channel, "have been arrested without just cause and their families are worried."

The two were released a day later.

Source: Radio Farda