Two Aid Workers Killed in Afghanistan

by Michael Bear · 2009-04-05 11:16:00 UTC
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It's been a brutal weekend as far as NGO security goes.   First, the Afghanistan NGO Security Office (ANSO) reports that two NGO staff have been killed in Afghanistan over the past few days.

On Friday, an Afghan working for an NGO was killed during a battle between international military forces (IMF) and armed opposition groups (AOG).  According to ANSO:

An IMF operation in Tagab Village came under attack from AOG early Friday morning. The ensuing engagement lasted for more than an hour and led to IMF calling in an airstrike on suspected AOG positions. One of the airstrikes hit a civilian compound, killing a local national INGO worker and injuring several members of his family.

[Updated Saturday - the International Rescue Committee has released a statement identifying the aid worker as Fazl Ullah Hazrat Gul.  He had worked for IRC since 2007, and leaves behind a wife and five children.]

Then, on Saturday, another aid worker was killed:

The district manager of a microfinance project arrived at the NGO district office in the early evening intending to remain in the compound overnight. The single compound guard who had been present when the manager arrived went home and returned to the compound the following morning. At this stage it was reported that the manager had suffered fatal stab wounds at some time during the night. No money or valuables were kept on site and it is understood that there was no evidence of any theft or damage to property. No further details are known.

So far this year, a total of four aid workers have been killed in Afghanistan.  For more information on attacks against aid workers, including the total number of aid worker fatalities so far this year, see here.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and colleagues of the two men killed over the weekend.

[Photo of airstrikes in Kunar Province, Afghanistan in 1997 from Balazs Gardi at www.battlespaceonline.org]

Michael Bear
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