Terrorists kidnapped and killed three foreign nationals working for international food company Sodexo in Kabul on Thursday, deepening concerns about security of expatriates in Afghanistan.
A senior diplomat and two Afghan security officials said the three worked as cooks at Sodexo, the world's second-largest food and catering services company.
"An Indian, a Malaysian and a Macedonian citizen were abducted and killed. We have found their bodies," Hashmat Stanekzai, spokesman for Kabul's police chief, told Reuters.
Kidnapping has been a major problem in Afghanistan in recent years. While it mainly affects Afghans kidnapped for ransom, foreigners have also been targeted, either by criminals looking for ransom or by terror groups.
The Malaysian national was 64, the Indian was 39 and the Macedonian was 37. They were all travelling for work with a local driver.
An Afghan security official said they found identity cards next to the bodies and officials at Sodexo in Afghanistan have confirmed their identities. The company had no immediate comment.
Police said the three men were abducted near Pul-e-Charkhi on the eastern outskirts of Kabul but their bodies were found in a car parked in the Mussahi district in the southern part of Kabul province.
"They were shot dead and their bodies were found inside a car," said Nusrat Rahimi, deputy spokesman for the interior ministry.
Sodexo manages canteens and facilities for offices, the military, schools, hospitals and prisons, and also supplies vouchers for meals and gifts. Its clients range from the Royal Ascot Racecourse in England to the U.S. Marine Corps.
Nearly 40 Killed, 230 Injured After Heavy Rainfall In Eastern Afghanistan Mohammad Nabi Not Thinking About Retirement, Hopes To Play 2026 T20 World Cup "Suddenly You're In A Different Group": Mitchell Starc Slams T20 World Cup Scheduling Windows Computers Lead To 'Blue Screen Of Death' Due To CrowdStrike Error Massive Worldwide Microsoft Outage: Flights, Markets, Stock Exchange Down Microsoft 'Blue Screen Of Death' Outage: Full List Of Services Hit In India "Reason Identified, Updates Released": India On Massive Microsoft Outage UPSC Cracks Down, Says Puja Khedkar Faked Identity, Parents' Name, Address Steve Jobs' "3rd-Rate Products" Jab At Microsoft Amid Global Cloud Outage Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.