MOSCOW, April 4 (RIA Novosti) - An Afghan gunman shot two journalists working for the Associated Press news agency on Friday, killing one of them and seriously injuring the other, a day before an upcoming presidential election.
Anja Niedringhaus, 48, an internationally acclaimed German photographer, was killed instantly, while her colleague, Canadian reporter Kathy Gannon, was wounded and is receiving medical attention, AP reported.
The attack occurred in the town of Khost, near the border with Pakistan, when the women were traveling in a convoy of election officials delivering ballots for Saturday's presidential election.
Eyewitnesses said a policeman approached them, shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is great) and opened fire on the journalists before surrendering to police.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, the second such incident involving foreign journalists in Afghanistan in recent weeks. Swedish reporter Nils Horner was shot dead in Kabul in mid-March while reportedly carrying out street interviews.
Late last week, gunmen attacked the building of the central election commission in Kabul and a hotel where foreigners were staying.
Tensions have been heated in recent weeks in Afghanistan as the country prepares for Saturday's election, coming against a backdrop of increasing volatility as NATO troops are preparing to pull out of Afghanistan by the end of the year.
