Afghan road project attacked

The severe risk of working in Afghanistan was highlighted when Taliban insurgents attacked a road construction firm in Paktia Province.
February 29, 2012 Read time: 1 min
The severe risk of working in Afghanistan was highlighted when Taliban insurgents attacked a road construction firm in Paktia Province. During the five hour shoot-out between the Taliban and security personnel for the construction firm, a number of the company's employees were killed. Estimates suggest that several of the Taliban attackers were also killed. The numbers have not been confirmed. Afghanistan is currently seeing investment in its road connections, with the 2332 World Bank having provided financing in a bid to boost transport and help rebuild the country's shattered economy. However these are relatively easy targets for insurgents. The Taliban have attacked several projects that have been put forward by the Afghan Government in a bid to undermine the administration. Foreign road construction workers have been a particular target, with several having been abducted from camps.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Pilosio Building Peace Awards event attracts high profile speakers
    November 10, 2015
    Actress Sharon Stone challenged guests at the fifth annual awards in Milan to “build me a school”; they accepted. World Highways was there. What does it take to galvanise people into action to help people in need, especially refugees during a time of conflict – as in Syria now? For some it has been the recent media stories – and distressing images – of the child Aylan Kurdi, a three-year old Syrian refugee whose lifeless body lay face down on a beach in Turkey.
    Read More
  • EBRD continues supporting infrastructure investment
    January 21, 2014
    The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it has provided strong support to emerging economies in 2013. Much of this investment has been into transportation infrastructure, which the EBRD sees as being crucial for development and to help emerge economies into growth. Total investments for the year across all of the regions where the EBRD is active amounted to €8.5 billion, according to preliminary estimates, compared with financing of €8.9 billion the previous year. These investments
    Read More
  • Has the promised investment happened?
    July 10, 2012
    At the end of 2008 and the start of 2009, the world's banking system spiralled into crisis, triggered by a series of catastrophic blunders caused by bankers trying to create money from nothing. The result was to plunge the world's economy rapidly into recession. Having proved in effect that lead cannot be turned into gold, the bankers retired on fat pensions leaving governments to pledge huge sums to the banks and fill in the financial gaps.
    Read More
  • Investing in East Africa's road sector to boost economic development
    April 14, 2020
    Investments in East Africa’s road sector are helping drive economic development as well as political stability
    Read More

Highlighted Content