Afghan Police are searching for an Australian aid worker thought to have been kidnapped in an eastern province, officials said on Friday.
Nangarhar provincial Police spokesman, Hazrat Hussain, said Katherine Wilson, a Perth native said to be in her 60s, was taken by gunmen who stormed the office of her aid group in Jalalabad on Thursday.
The local media reports said Australia’s Government had confirmed the kidnapping.
Wilson had reportedly worked in the region for over 20 years with charities related to women’s rights and water security.
However, her elderly father, Brian, appealed for his daughter’s release.
“I presume she is a hostage and they will do their best to keep her alive and not harm her simply because they want to have something in return,’’ he said.
According to police, no contact from kidnappers had been made so far.
No group claimed immediate responsibility, but the militant Islamic State group is active in the province.
In March, two Bangladeshi aid workers were kidnapped by gunmen in the northern province of Kunduz.
Kidnappings, especially for ransom, are a common occurrence in the country, and frequently target employees of humanitarian organisations.
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