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Two aid workers murdered in north

[Eritrea] Trenches at Nakfa looking towards Denden mt IRIN
EPLF trenches at Nakfa in northern Eritrea
    NAIROBI

    Two humanitarian workers have been killed and a third injured by unidentified gunmen in northern Eritrea.

    The three Eritreans, who were working for the US charity Mercy Corps, came under attack on Sunday morning when gunmen opened fire on their vehicle using automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), humanitarian sources told IRIN on Tuesday.

    The attack took place near Adobha, in northern Eritrea, where Mercy Corps was carrying out a water project assessment.

    The driver, who was injured, was reportedly taken to hospital in the town of Keren.

    Mercy Corps has been working in Eritrea since the mid-1980s, with programmes aimed empowering local community groups and improving nutrition.

    In April, a British geologist was murdered in Bisha, western Eritrea. The man, Timothy Nutt, was working for the Canadian Nevsun company which is mining for gold in the area. The Eritrean authorities blamed rebels from the Sudan-based radical Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement (EIJM), but both Sudan and the EIJM denied any involvement.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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