Gunmen kill senior Afghan policewoman

A senior Afghan policewoman who had spoken of the need for more female police officers has died in hospital after being shot by gunmen on a motorcycle. Her female predecessor in Helmand province was murdered in July.

Afghanistan's restive province of Helmand lost its second high-profile female police officer on Monday. Sub-Inspector Negar died of neck wounds a day after being shot by unknown assailants while walking along a street near police headquarters.


Negar, 36, who like many Afghans used only one name, was severely wounded by two gunmen riding a motorcycle in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand, where insurgent attacks remain commonplace.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the shooting.

Negar and her predecessor, Islam Bibi (pictured above), who was murdered in Lashkar Gah in July, were both portrayed as examples of how opportunities for women had improved in Afghanistan since the Taliban regime was ousted in 2001.

Death threats
Before her murder, Bibi had admitted receiving frequent death threats from persons who disapproved of her career, including from her brother.

Regional government spokesman Omar Zawak said Negar had worked for seven years in the Helmand police crime branch.