AFGHANISTAN: Unknown gunmen kill two German journalists in Afghanistan

Gunmen ambushed and killed two German journalists travelling in northern Afghanistan on Saturday, Afghan officials said. Police said the two, a man and woman, were ambushed while travelling at night from Baghlan province to the central province of Bamiyan. Baghlan province's security chief said the two were killed by unknown gunmen. "Lastly on behalf of the command I would like to extend our condolences to your colleagues who lost their lives covering Afghanistan this week, whiles the journalists were not with ISAF when they were killed, they had spend time with your troops recently. Honouring their memory remind us that both military and journalist task in the country are vital to future of Afghanistan but hardly risk free," said Luke Knittig, a spokesman for NATO's International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF). There was no word on the driver of the two journalists. Documents indicated they worked for Deutsche Welle, an official said. Violence has surged across Afghanistan this year, mostly in the south and east where Taliban insurgents have been battling foreign and government troops. Attacks have also taken place in Kabul, the west and the north but both Baghlan and Bamiyan provinces have been quiet recently. Crime has surged across Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban. A Taliban spokesman, Qari Mohammad Yousuf, said the Taliban was not responsible for the attack. The Germans' bodies were taken to Kabul later on Saturday, police said. Germany has a contingent of about 2,750 troops with NATO's Afghan mission.

ITN Source | October 8, 2006

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