KABUL, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Three major suspects were arrested late Thursday, less than 48 hours after the murder of two local Afghan reporters, Afghan Ministry of Interior Affairs confirmed on Friday.

"Afghan National Police personnel arrested three suspects in northeastern Takhar province in charges of murdering of two journalists of a local radio in Takhar," the ministry said in a statement.

On Tuesday night, two staff of Radio Hamsada based in northeastern Takhar province were shot dead inside their office by unidentified gunmen.

The trios were handed over to related government departments and a judicial investigation will be opened soon, the statement read.

At least 15 journalists and media workers had been killed in separate incidents across Afghanistan in 2018.