10 people killed in attack on de-mining camp in Afghanistan, Halo Trust charity says
Ten people have been killed and 16 injured in an attack on a de-mining camp in Afghanistan, according to a British landmine clearance charity supported by the Duke of Sussex.
Paul McCann, head of communications for the Halo Trust, said in a statement: “The Halo Trust can confirm that at 21:50 local time (6:20pm London) on June 8, 10 Halo staff were killed and 16 injured by an unknown armed group at a de-mining camp in the Baghlan province of Afghanistan.
“The group entered the camp and opened fire. Around 110 men, from local communities in northern Afghanistan, were in the camp having finished their work on nearby minefields.
“We strongly condemn the attack on our staff, who were carrying out humanitarian work to save lives. We are focused now on (taking) care of the injured staff and supporting the families affected.”
The Halo Trust was supported by Diana, Princess of Wales, and has had a close affiliation with the Duke of Sussex.
Harry made an emotional visit to Africa in 2019 to retrace the steps of his mother Diana, who famously walked through a partially cleared Angolan minefield in 1997 to highlight the trust’s efforts and the threat of the military munitions.
During his trip to Dirico, in southern Angola, the duke saw Halo’s work first-hand while donning body armour and a face mask to inspect an area of bush being cleared of ordnance by the charity.
According to the its website, the Halo Trust employs almost 9,000 people and works in more than 20 countries and territories around the world.