Taliban Massacres Highway Workers

At least 35 workers were killed when Taliban militants ambushed a highway construction crew in eastern Afghanistan yesterday. Almost every one of the laborers, engineers, and guards on site where killed, kidnapped, or injured after the insurgents attacked a roadside camp early in the morning, reports the BBC. Eight militants were killed when guards returned fire.

The highway project linking Paktia and Khost provinces, funded with US and international aid, has been a frequent target of insurgents. The district where the attack took place is under the sway of the Taliban-allied Haqqani network, although the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack without mentioning the Haqqani, the New York Times notes. (More Taliban stories.)