India condemns Indian national's killing in Afghanistan

The government on Thursday expressed "deep anguish" at the killing of an Indian national, along with two of his colleagues working in an international company in Afghanistan, and condemned the incident in the strongest terms.

"It is a matter of deep anguish that an Indian national, working for an international company, was kidnapped along with two of his colleagues from Malaysia and Macedonia in Kabul today," External Affairs Ministery spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said in response to queries.

"The local authorities later informed that the three kidnapped, including the Indian national have been killed by the kidnappers," Kumar said.

"The government condemns this incident in the strongest terms."

All the three, working for international food company Sodexo in Afghanistan, were kidnapped and killed by gunmen in the Afghna capital.

The Indian national is said to be 39, the Malaysian 64 and the Macedonian 37, according to the BBC .

Investigators said that the trio, believed to be working as cooks for Sodexo, were taken from their Toyota Corolla car on their way to the airport. Their bodies were found later in the Mussahi district of Kabul province, Afghan media reported.

Police were treating it as "a terrorist incident", the BBC reported citing an Afghan government official.

Kumar said that the Indian Embassy in Kabul is in touch with the Afghan authorities and the company concerned in the matter.

"The embassy is rendering all assistance in the repatriation of the mortal remains," he said.

--IANS

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