Prime Minister Stephen Harper has condemned the "brutal" killings in Afghanistan of three female aid workers and their Afghan driver. The women included a Canadian, British-Canadian dual-citizen and an American-Trinidadian.
"This is obviously an outrage, a terribly brutal act, which I think should remind everybody of the brutality of the Taliban and the danger that everybody there faces -- not just military people but all those who are there trying to help rebuild this country," he said told reporters Wednesday.
The women were working for the New York-based IRC, a group which provides emergency relief and rehabilitation and defends human rights in countries recovering from war.
They were travelling through Logar province towards Kabul in a clearly marked IRC vehicle when they were attacked by armed militants, the organization said. Logar province is south of the Afghan capital.
A second Afghan driver was critically wounded in the attack. The 30-year-old man has been hospitalized.
"Our hearts are broken, I don't have words for the extent of sorrow and sympathy we feel for their families and we are absolutely outraged and condemn in the strongest possible terms this cowardly, senseless, brutal attack," Michael Kocher, IRC's vice-president of international programs, told Â鶹´«Ã½net Wednesday.
Kocher said that his organization had not received any specific threats.
"Afghanistan is a dangerous place . . . and it's been getting more dangerous over the last year," he said.
Three of the victims' names have been released by the IRC:
- Jacqueline Kirk, 40, of Montreal
- Shirley Case, 30, of Williams Lake, B.C.
- Nicole Dial, 32, an American-Trinidadian
- Mohammad Aimal, 25, the Afghan driver
Details on victims
Kirk was born in Britain. She had arrived to the area to provide technical assistance but wasn't permanently based in Afghanistan, said Kocher.
Her husband, Andrew Kirk, told Â鶹´«Ã½net Wednesday that his wife "cared so much for the children's futures in Afghanistan."
"She was incredibly motivated, she really cared about the children in the world who can't get an education because of conflict."
The couple moved to Canada in 1996.
Kirk said he and his wife spoke of the danger in Afghanistan before she went to the war-torn country.
"She always felt she was quite safe there," he said. "We believed it was risky but the risks were managed."
Kirk said the IRC always took the proper precautions to keep its workers safe.
Jacqueline Kirk had been an education program advisor for the IRC since July of 2007 and had been involved with the organization for years. She first went to Afghanistan in 2004 and had been back several times.
Case arrived in Afghanistan on June 8. She managed education programs for children with disabilities.
Dial arrived just a few months ago. Kocher said they were experienced in their field of work, having worked in other parts of the world.
The slain Afghan driver had worked with the IRC for five years.
"We are stunned and profoundly saddened by this tragic loss," George Rupp, president of the IRC said in a statement.
"These extraordinary individuals were deeply committed to aiding the people of Afghanistan, especially the children who have seen so much strife. Words are inadequate to express our sympathy for the families and loved ones of the victims and our devoted team of humanitarian aid workers in Afghanistan."
The IRC said it has suspended humanitarian aid work in Afghanistan indefinitely following the attack. The group has been working in the country for 20 years.
Kai Eide, the United Nations' top official in Kabul, called it a "cowardly attack."
Canadian foreign affairs officials were not immediately available for comment Wednesday.
