Armed men on Monday abducted one French aid worker from Afghan capital Kabul and killed an Afghan who tried to prevent the abduction on the spot, officials said.

Afghan people gather at the site where a French aid worker was kidnapped in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Nov. 3, 2008. Gunmen kidnapped a French aid worker off a street in Kabul on Monday and killed an intelligence agency employee who tried to stop the abduction. [Xinhua Photo]

"It occurred at around 9:10 a.m. local time (0440 GMT) when three gunmen kidnapped the French aid worker in the Kart-e-Parwan area of Kabul," an official from Interior Ministry told Xinhua but refused to be named.

"The aid worker is working for a French-based non-government organization," he added.

"One local Afghan, who happened to be on the spot while trying to prevent the kidnapping, was shot dead by the kidnappers," according to the source of Interior Ministry.

An Afghan policeman stands guard near the street where a French aid worker was kidnapped on Nov. 3. [Xinhua/AFP Photo]

Earlier, one eyewitness told Xinhua that the ill-fated French worker is a woman and was kidnapped while walking along with one male colleague, a foreigner too.

One Taliban spokesman in talk with Xinhua from unknown location via phone has denied the outfit's involvement in the kidnapping.

Afghanistan have seen increase in criminal activities including kidnapping for ransom as Interior Ministry recently just claimed foiling several cases of abduction in and around the capital city of Kabul over the past months.

(Xinhua News Agency November 4, 2008)