Afghan policewoman, government staff killed in targeted attacks

Kabul: A policewoman and two government employees were killed in two targeted attacks in Afghanistan, officials said on Friday.

In Kunduz province, armed militants broke into a house, pulling a female police officer out and killing her on the spot, Mohammad Yousuf Ayubi from Kunduz Provincial Council told Xinhua news agency.

The victim served in the provincial airport, and an investigation has been launched into the incident, he added. In the second attack, two engineers of the National Water Affairs Regulation Authority, a department of the country's Ministry of Power and Water, were killed after gunmen ambushed a vehicle in Parwan province.

On July 27, UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a report that civilian casualties decreased 13 per cent in the first six months of 2020 in comparison with the same period last year. A total of 1,282 civilians were killed and 2,176 others wounded during the period, according to the report.

Targeted attacks were the third cause of civilian casualties after ground engagements and the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) by the Taliban, the report indicated. At least 30 people were killed in such attacks last month.