Taliban Gunmen Kill Christian Aid Worker

Taliban gunmen killed a Christian aid worker in Kabul today, and the militant group said it targeted the woman because she was spreading her religion. The dual South African-British national worked with handicapped Afghans and was shot by gunmen on a motorbike around 8 am, officials said.  "This woman came to Afghanistan to teach Christianity to the people of Afghanistan," a militant spokesman said. "Our (leaders) issued a decree to kill this woman."

The woman's aid group SERVE—Serving Emergency Relief and Vocational Enterprises—identified her as Gayle Williams, 34, in a statement on its Web site. "She was a person who always loved the Afghans and was dedicated to serving those who are disabled," it said. A spokeswoman for SERVE in Kabul, said the group is a Christian organization "but they are definitely not expressing this on purpose. They are here to do NGO (aid) work."