Afghan Director Saba Sahar Hospitalized After Being Shot by Gunmen in Kabul

Saba Sahar, an Afghan director, actor and activist, has reportedly been hospitalized after being shot by gunmen in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Tuesday.

According to a report from the BBC, Sahar was in a car with several other passengers when three gunmen opened fire on the vehicle.

Emal Zaki, Sahar’s husband, told the BBC that the shooting occurred as she was traveling to work. He said he heard the sounds of gunshots about five minutes after Sahar left their home. Zaki called her on the phone, and she said she had been shot and hit in the stomach.

“I reached the scene and found them all wounded,” Zaki told the BBC. “She received first aid and we transferred her to the emergency hospital and then to the police hospital.” He told the BBC that Sahar later had a successful surgery.

Sahar was traveling with four other people, including two of her bodyguards, the driver and a child. Zaki told the BBC that the bodyguards were also hit, but the driver and the child were not harmed.

The shooting happened in the western region of Kabal, Zaki told the BBC. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the extent of Sahar’s injuries are not clear, according to the BBC.

Sahar is one of the most famous actors in Afghanistan and one of the first female film directors and producers in the country. Her film and TV credits include “Commissioner Amanullah,” a 24-part series on the Afghan police, “The Law,” “Passing the Rainbow” and, most recently, “Kabul Dream Factory.” Her projects explore themes of social justice and corruption, and she’s an outspoken advocate for women’s rights in Afghanistan.

According to the BBC, the human rights organization Amnesty International said in response to the news that there has been an “extremely worrying” increase in attacks on actors and political and social activists in Afghanistan.