Kidnapped USAID worker killed during rescue attempt in Afghanistan
Sunday, 10 October 2010
A British aid worker working for a USAID project - kidnapped in Afghanistan last month - was killed by her captors during rescue attempt Friday night, the U.K. government said Saturday, reports agency.
Linda Norgrove, (36) originally from Scotland, and three colleagues were kidnapped in eastern Kunar province on Sept. 26 after being ambushed.
Police fought a gunbattle with the kidnappers near the attack site before the assailants fled. Her three Afghan colleagues were released shortly after being abducted.
The UK Foreign Secretary William Hague expressed his "deep regret" in a statement Saturday, which said she was "killed at the hands of her captors in the course of a rescue attempt last night."
"Working with our Allies we received information about where Linda was being held and we decided that, given the danger she was facing, her best chance of safe release was to act on that information," he said.
"Responsibility for this tragic outcome rests squarely with the hostage takers. From the moment they took her, her life was under grave threat. Given who held her, and the danger she was in, we judged that Linda's best chance lay in attempting to rescue her," Hague added.
"I want to record my gratitude to our NATO allies and to the Afghan authorities and security forces for doing all they could to secure the safe release of Linda," he said.
"It is a tragedy that Linda was taken whilst doing the job she loved in a country. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this terrible time and I would ask the media to allow them time to come to terms with their sad loss," he said.
Linda Norgrove, (36) originally from Scotland, and three colleagues were kidnapped in eastern Kunar province on Sept. 26 after being ambushed.
Police fought a gunbattle with the kidnappers near the attack site before the assailants fled. Her three Afghan colleagues were released shortly after being abducted.
The UK Foreign Secretary William Hague expressed his "deep regret" in a statement Saturday, which said she was "killed at the hands of her captors in the course of a rescue attempt last night."
"Working with our Allies we received information about where Linda was being held and we decided that, given the danger she was facing, her best chance of safe release was to act on that information," he said.
"Responsibility for this tragic outcome rests squarely with the hostage takers. From the moment they took her, her life was under grave threat. Given who held her, and the danger she was in, we judged that Linda's best chance lay in attempting to rescue her," Hague added.
"I want to record my gratitude to our NATO allies and to the Afghan authorities and security forces for doing all they could to secure the safe release of Linda," he said.
"It is a tragedy that Linda was taken whilst doing the job she loved in a country. Our thoughts are with her family and friends at this terrible time and I would ask the media to allow them time to come to terms with their sad loss," he said.