Afghan campaign worker shot dead outside his home; Taliban deny attack

KABUL, Afghanistan – An Afghan official says a prominent campaign worker in the country's presidential election has been shot dead outside his home in eastern Afghanistan. The Taliban deny they were involved in the killing.

Provincial spokesman Din Mohammad Darwish says the campaign worker Esmatullah, who like many Afghan men uses only one name, was returning home from visiting a friend Monday afternoon when unknown gunmen opened fire outside his house in Logar province.

Esmatulla — known as Commandor Tor for his role in the struggle against the 1990s Soviet occupation — was killed and his two bodyguards were wounded.

Esmatullah worked as an election observer for presidential candidate Abdul Rab Rassoul Sayyaf.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid denied involvement. He said the insurgents respected Esmatullah as a former mujahedeen fighter against the Soviets.