Christian charity: Non-local fighters, not thieves killed 10 aid workers in Afghanistan

Aid group: fighters not thieves killed 10 workers

KABUL, Afghanistan — A Christian charity group says it now believes non-local fighters killed 10 members of its medical team last week in a remote area of northern Afghanistan — not robbers as the charity first suspected.

Dirk Frans, director of International Assistance Mission, said soon after the attack that the group suspected robbers were behind the slayings despite a Taliban claim of responsibility.

On Wednesday, an official said authorities had interviewed the sole survivor — a driver named Safiullah — and quoted him as saying the lead attacker appeared to Pakistani. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose details of the investigation.

The attack in Nuristan province killed six Americans, two Afghans and a German and a Briton.