United Nations Radio

Three staff members of a non-governmental organization working with the United Nations refugee agency in Afghanistan have been killed in Jowzjan Province.

UNHCR spokesman William Spindler says the staff members of the Development and Humanitarian Services for Afghanistan, DHSA, died when their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device.

"The aid workers were on their way to visit a project. DHSA, the NGO in question, has been for a long time a partner of the UN refugee agency, working with returnees in Afghanistan. This organization helps to provide shelter for the hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees that have returned to their home country."

UNHCR says no one has claimed responsibility for the explosion which was the more serious of two separate security incidents which took place in Afghanistan over the past 24 hours.

The UN refugee agency adds that another incident happened on Monday evening on the road from Lagham to Jalalabad.

Vehicles carrying three UNHCR staff and one employee of the World Food Programme were overtaking a military convoy on that road when one of the military vehicles exploded.

The agency says details are not yet available but no one was injured and all the staff members returned to base without further incident.

Diane Bailey, United Nations.

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