Five construction workers shot dead in Afghanistan

March 5, 2010 According to reports from officials, four Pakistani and one Afghan road construction workers were killed in Afghanistan yesterday by armed men.

The interior ministry reported that the attack happened on Thursday morning, in the Panjwayi district in the Kandahar province, and noted that one other Pakistani and Afghan labourer were injured. The workers were reportedly en route to a building site operated by the SAITA construction firm.

"They were going to work when this incident took place. We are arranging transportation of their bodies back to Pakistan," commented Ajmal Farooqi, an executive with the company.

Police official Agha said that two gunmen motorcycle opened fire on the workers, conflicting with reports from the interior ministry, which says that there were three gunmen.

Agence France-Presse reports that this incident bears the hallmarks of the Taleban; however, Taleban spokesman Yousuf Ahmadi remarked that "[o]ur friends did not say anything about it, we don't have information about the incident".