KABUL, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Eleven Afghan journalists and media workers have been killed in the first half of the year amid deteriorating security, an independent media safety group said Wednesday.

"The first six months of 2018 was the bloodiest reporting period for journalists and the media community in Afghanistan," Afghan Journalists Safety Committee (AJSC) said in a statement.

"Within these first six months, AJSC recorded 89 cases of violence and intimidation against journalists and media workers, 11 of which involved the killing of journalists," the statement read.

All the journalists who were killed during the period of time were attacked directly, the statement noted.

In one incident, nine reporters were killed after a suicide bomber targeted a group of journalists in Kabul, who were covering a terrorist attack at a diplomatic district, on April 30.

The attack was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.

Two journalists were shot dead in southern Kandahar and eastern Khost provinces on the same month.

AJSC also expressed concern over the continuation and expansion of violence and threats to Afghan journalists posed by terrorist groups, particularly Taliban and IS affiliates.

"The intensity and scale of violence has been unprecedented during this period of 2018," the statement added.