Briton's killers branded cowards

Dr Jacqueline Kirk, 40, died along with three other International Rescue Committee workers when they were ambushed in the Logar province of Afghanistan.

General David McKiernan, commander of the International Security Assistance Force, said the killings were unforgivable.

"These women were in Afghanistan trying to help the Afghan people and have now given their lives as a result of a senseless, pointless and cowardly act," he said.

As a series of tributes were paid to the "wonderful humanitarian", Dr Kirk's husband, Andrew, said her killers knew she was an unarmed aid worker.

Mr Kirk, 41, a research scientist, said: "They were travelling in white Toyota Land Cruisers that were clearly marked as IRC vehicles, as humanitarian vehicles.

"Their policy was never to travel with weapons in the car so there wouldn't be any doubt that they're a peaceful humanitarian organisation."

Both the Government and senior peacekeeping forces condemned the attack.

International Development Minister Shahid Malik added: "The UK Government utterly condemns these attacks on innocent civilians."

Dr Kirk, who is believed to have grown up in Northern Ireland, was affiliated to Ulster University's International Conflict Research centre, based at its Coleraine campus. She moved to Montreal in recent years. She was killed amid fears of a growing resurgence among Taliban fighters in and around the Afghan capital.