Foreign doctors executed, Afghan Taliban claim killing

KABUL (AFP) – The Taliban said Saturday they had killed "Christian missionaries" working in remote northern Afghanistan where the bullet-riddled bodies of two American and six German doctors were found.

The police chief in northern Badakhshan province said the group of foreign eye doctors had been lined up and shot in dense forest, according to the testimony of a sole Afghan survivor. The Taliban later claimed responsibility.

"Yesterday at around 8am, one of our patrols confronted a group of foreigners. They were Christian missionaries and we killed them all," said Zabihullah Mujahed, a spokesman for the Taliban.

Christian aid group "International Assistance Mission" said it was "likely" the dead had been working for their organisation.

"It is likely that they are members of the International Assistance Mission (IAM) eye camp team," said the organisation in a statement on their website.