Karen Fischer, 30, and Christian Struwe, 39, Deutsche Welle journalists doing research for a freelance documentary, were shot in a tent they had pitched along a road near Baghlan, about 95 miles (150 kilometers) northwest of Kabul. Deutsche Welle said the two had recently visited several United Nations Children’s Fund projects in northern Afghanistan and were en route to the central province of Bamiyan.
News reports said the pair’s personal possessions were not taken. The area, though considered safer than other parts of the country, was still poorly controlled by the government and NATO forces in charge of security.
Local police detained two people for questioning, the Kabul-based daily Cheragh reported on October 12. The Interior Ministry, which led the investigation, said the precise motive was not immediately clear.