Killing of Afghan Journalist and Family Members Stuns Media Peers --- KABUL, Afghanistan — Sardar Ahmad, a warmly admired stalwart of the Afghan journalistic community here, loved to post bits of wisdom from his young daughter, Nelofar, on Facebook. -- “Baba, do the Taliban kill animals as well?” began one exchange he posted last July. “No!” he replied. -- “I wish we were animals,” Nelofar declared. --- On Wednesday night, journalists in Afghanistan gathered atop the Wazir Akbar Khan hill overlooking Kabul’s old city to hold a candlelight vigil remembering the journalist and his family. --- Last Thursday, on the eve of the Afghan New Year, Nowruz, the family went to dinner at the luxurious Serena Hotel. They were in the midst of their meal when four militants barged in with tiny pistols hidden in their socks, shooting Mr. Ahmad first and then two of his three children, even after their mother pleaded for them to kill her instead. --- When Afghan journalists convened at the Kabul morgue to identify Mr. Ahmad’s body, Shah Marai, a photographer with Agence France-Presse, told his colleagues of a recent car trip with his friend. “Shah Marai,” Mr. Ahmad said then, “we have survived and covered so many battles and suicide bombings, it would be such a shame if we were killed in a cowardly attack.” - More, ROD NORDLAND and HABIB ZAHORI, NYTimes, at: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/27/world/asia/killing-of-afghan-journalist-and-family-members-stuns-media-peers.html?ref=afghanistan&_r=0