Two German soldiers die in Afghan day of bloodshed [2 NATO troops, 5 children dead]

TIMES Online (UK) ^ | October 20, 2008 | Jenny Booth

[wolf78]

Two German soldiers and five Afghan children have died in a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan, capping a day of bloodshed which also saw a British woman aid worker gunned down on the streets of Kabul.

A third soldier and a civilian were injured in the suicide attack, a spokesman for the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) confirmed.

The Germans were on foot patrol in Kunduz province when the bomber rode up to them on a bicycle and triggered his explosives, according to Mohammad Omar, the provincial governor of Kunduz.

“The blast took place on a main road. This is the work of terrorists. We have arrested two suspects in relation to the incident,” said Mr Omar.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taleban, claimed reponsibility for the attack on behalf of the militants, and said that a dozen foreign soldiers were killed.

Violence in Kunduz, to the north of Afghanistan, has been on the increase recently as the Taleban have spread their influence from their bases along the Pakistan border to the south.

It was the second suicide attack in Afghanistan today after another bomber, aged about 15, walked up to an armoured Afghan army vehicle in the southern town of Lashkar Gah and detonated the bombs strapped to his body, badly damaging the vehicle but killing only himself.

[wolf78]

Germany has 3,300 troops in northern Afghanistan

[Leisler]

There there, because there is evil in the world. I’m sure it must bug the German soldiers that they are kept on such a sort leash by politics.
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Aid worker murdered for her beliefs
1 hour ago

A British aid worker whose strong Christian faith inspired her to volunteer in Afghanistan was murdered by the Taliban for her beliefs.

Gayle Williams, 34, was shot dead by two gunmen on a motorcycle as she walked to work in the capital, Kabul.

She had spent about two years in the troubled country helping mentally handicapped Afghans as a volunteer with UK-registered Christian charity Serve Afghanistan.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the shooting saying she was killed because she was trying to spread Christianity in the conservative Islamic nation.

But Mike Lyth, chairman of the board of Serve Afghanistan, rejected this and insisted Ms Williams was only in Afghanistan to offer aid to people in need.

“We are Christians - that is what gives us the motivation to go into a dangerous and difficult country to try to help,” he said. “But she was not involved in proselytisation.”

Kabul-based colleagues of the murdered aid worker paid tribute to her “plucky adventurous spirit” and good-humoured dedication to caring for others.

They said in a joint statement: “Gayle will be remembered as one of the inspiring people of the world who truly put others before herself. She was killed violently while caring for the most forgotten people in the world - the poor and the disabled.

“She herself would not regret taking the risk of working in Afghanistan. She was where she wanted to be - holding out a helping hand to those in need.”

Ms Williams had nearly reached Serve Afghanistan’s office in Kabul when two men shot her several times in the leg and torso before speeding off on a motorcycle at about 8am local time. She was found dead by another member of the charity’s staff shortly afterwards