German woman kidnapped in Kabul

It is unclear who the armed men who abducted the woman are

A German woman has been kidnapped at gunpoint in the Afghan capital, Kabul, the first foreigner to be abducted in the city for more than two years.

The aid worker, who is in her 30s, works for a Christian organisation called Ora International.

She was abducted by gunmen while having lunch with her husband at a small restaurant in western Kabul.

Police fired at the kidnappers' car as it sped away but missed it, hitting a taxi instead and killing its driver.

An investigation into the kidnapping is under way and several houses have been searched.

It is not clear who the armed men who abducted the woman are, or what their motivations might be.

Some reports say she was driven away in a blue Toyota car.

Bomb attacks

Saturday also saw four Afghan engineers abducted while working on a construction project in Kandahar province in the south.

The BBC's Charles Haviland in Kabul says that although there have recently been several bomb attacks in Kabul, kidnappings are rare in the capital.

The last time a foreigner was abducted in the city was in 2005.

The victim, an Italian woman, was released after a few weeks by the kidnappers, said to have been a criminal gang.

The incident comes amid efforts to free 19 South Korean aid workers kidnapped by the Taleban in central Afghanistan.

In addition to the South Korean aid workers, Afghan officials are also trying to secure the release of a German man kidnapped from Wardak province in June.