Five mine clearance workers killed in southern Afghanistan

Unidentified gunmen have killed at least five mine disposal technicians and kidnapped one of the workers in southern Afghanistan's Kandahar province, officials say.

Daoud Ahmadi, a spokesman for the governor of Kandahar province, said the demining team was working in the province’s Maiwand district when attacked early on Monday.

“The victims had told the district governor and district police that they had no problem with Taliban so they would not need any protection,” media outlets quoted Ahmadi as saying. 

Sources said that the deminers were clearing an area for the multi-billion-dollar TAPI pipeline project. TAPI is named after the countries participating in the project - Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

The construction work will still have to pass through lawless areas of southern Afghanistan where armed groups with shifting loyalties operate and security is highly uncertain.

The latest attack comes as the Taliban militant group in Afghanistan has announced the start of its so-called spring offensive, saying it will look out for US forces on a “kill or capture” mission.

SS