Officials: 6 Afghan aid workers killed in north

11/27/2013

KABUL , Afghanistan — Militants killed six Afghans working for a French-based aid organization today in Afghanistan’s northern province of Faryab, officials and the agency said.

Faryab Gov. Mohammadullha Batash said the Afghans worked for ACTED, a non-governmental organization active in his province.

Batash said they died when gunmen opened fire on their car as they drove to inspect a project in the Almar district.

Adrien Tomarchio, chief spokesman for ACTED, confirmed the attack happened and said another worker was gravely wounded in the attack.

It was the first time employees of the group have been killed in an attack in the 20 years it has operated in Afghanistan, he said.

Batash said police were investigating the attack.

Although workers for aid organizations are usually not targeted, they are sometimes attacked by the Taliban and other insurgents in areas militants’ control.

Faryab is relatively quiet, but the Taliban and other insurgent groups operate there.