Kabul: At least six Afghan employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were killed on Wednesday by suspected Islamic State gunmen in northern Afghanistan, officials said.

Another two employees were unaccounted for after the attack in Jowzjan province, ICRC spokesman Thomas Glass said.</s>A team of three drivers and five field officers was on its way to deliver livestock materials to an area in Jawzjan province when "unknown armed men" attacked it, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said.

The Taliban denied responsibility for the attack in a tweet from spokesman Zabihullah Mujahidm.

"It is not yet clear who carried out the attack or why," the Red Cross said in a statement.

Two of its employees still are unaccounted for, the aid organization said.

The head of the ICRC delegation in Afghanistan, Monica Zanarelli, said in a statement: "This is a despicable act. Nothing can justify the murder of our colleagues and dear friends. "At this point, it's premature for us to determine the impact of this appalling incident on our operations in Afghanistan. We want to collect ourselves as a team and support each other in processing this incomprehensible act and finding our two unaccounted for colleagues," she said. "It seems impossible..." A message from our Director-General @YDaccordICRC on the attack of our colleagues in Jawzan province, #Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/PN22EdTE7D — ICRC (@ICRC) February 8, 2017 ICRC President Peter Maurer,said, "We condemn in the strongest possible terms what appears to be a deliberate attack on our staff. This is a huge tragedy. We're in shock." Lutfullah Azizi, the provincial governor of Jawzjan also told CNN that "unknown gunmen" carried out the attack in Qoshtapa district of Jawzjan province. He said police are searching for the two missing Red Cross employees. Security forces stand guard at the site of a a suicide attack in Kabul on Tuesday. Amnesty International condemned the attack and noted that violence has intensified recently in Afghanistan. On Tuesday, a suicide bomber killed at least 20 people outside Afghanistan's Supreme Court in Kabul. Thirty-five people were hurt in the explosion. In a post Wednesday on Twitter, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. According to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, 3,498 civilians were killed and 7,920 injured in 2016 -- marking the highest number of civilian casualties since the UN began documenting statistics in Afghanistan. "By targeting the ICRC, who devote their lives to helping people in desperate need, the perpetrators have demonstrated a horrific contempt for human life," said Biraj Patnaik, Amnesty International's South Asia director.</s>International Committee of the Red Cross spokesperson Thomas Glass speaks during a briefing in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017.

KABUL, Afghanistan — The international Red Cross on Thursday temporarily suspended its activities in Afghanistan following an attack that killed six of its employees the previous day in a northern province.

According to Thomas Glass, spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, the aid group's "activities are on hold" until next Tuesday or possibly longer.

The organization, he said, needs "to reassess how we can conduct our work" safely following Wednesday's attack near the northern town of Shibirghan.

Glass described the assault as the "worst incident" for ICRC in 16 years in Afghanistan. The eight-person ICRC team was delivering livestock materials near Shibirghan, the capital of Jowzjan province, when the gunmen attacked their convoy.

"We are not planning to leave Afghanistan," he added. "We need to have a dialogue with all parties in the conflict about the security and safety of our staff."

No one has claimed the attack, but the provincial police chief, Rahmatullah Turkistani, said it was likely carried out by Islamic State militants, who have a presence in the area. The Taliban, who have been waging a 15-year insurgency against the Kabul government, denied involvement.

Earlier on Thursday, an Afghan official said NATO drone strikes killed 11 Islamic State militants, including two senior commanders, in the eastern Nangarhar province.

According to Mohammad Hussain Mashraqiwal, a spokesman for the provincial police chief, the two commanders killed in Wednesday's strikes were Mohammed Omar Sadiq and Omar Farooq. Six people were also wounded in the airstrikes, he added.

U.S. Navy Cpt. Bill Salvin, a military spokesman, confirmed that American forces conducted counterterrorism strikes in Nangarhar on Wednesday, without providing further details.

An Islamic State affiliate has emerged in eastern Afghanistan as a rival to the much larger Taliban, and has carried out attacks targeting the country's Shiite minority and security forces.

In other violence on Thursday, a gunman shot and killed a member of the provincial council along with four of his bodyguards in norther Baghlan province, police spokesman Jawed Basharat said.</s>The International Committee of the Red Cross says six of its staff members were shot dead and two are missing after their convoy was attacked by unknown assailants in Afghanistan.

The Red Cross workers were on their way to deliver livestock materials when they were attacked near the town of Shibergan in the northern province of Jawzan, close to Afghanistan's border with Turkmenistan. Reuters reports that the area has been pounded by snowstorms in recent days.

The ICRC says "it is not yet clear who carried out the attack or why."

The provincial police chief, Rahmatullah Turkistani, tells The Associated Press that the attack "was likely carried out by Islamic State militants, who have a presence in the area." The news service adds that no group has claimed responsibility for the attack and that the Taliban says it was not involved.

The ICRC has worked in Afghanistan for 30 years, NPR's Greg Myre reports. He says its neutrality "is widely respected, with rare exceptions. But the group says it's putting aid operations on hold while it assesses the attack."

"We need to understand more clearly what happened," ICRC Director of Operations Dominik Stillhart tells the BBC. "But... this is one of the most critical humanitarian contexts and we will definitely do everything to continue our operations there."

ICRC President Peter Maurer says, "These staff members were simply doing their duty, selflessly trying to help and support the local community."

He adds: "This is a huge tragedy. We're in shock."

Greg reports that "civilian casualties have been on the rise throughout Afghanistan, and this shooting came just a day after a suicide bomber struck at the Supreme Court in Kabul, killing at least 20."</s>The International Committee of the Red Cross says six of its staff members were shot dead and two are missing after their convoy was attacked by unknown assailants in Afghanistan.

The Red Cross workers were on their way to deliver livestock materials when they were attacked near the town of Shibergan in the northern province of Jawzan, close to Afghanistan's border with Turkmenistan. Reuters reports that the area has been pounded by snowstorms in recent days.

The ICRC says "it is not yet clear who carried out the attack or why."

The provincial police chief, Rahmatullah Turkistani, tells The Associated Press that the attack "was likely carried out by Islamic State militants, who have a presence in the area." The news service adds that no group has claimed responsibility for the attack and that the Taliban says it was not involved.

The ICRC has worked in Afghanistan for 30 years, NPR's Greg Myre reports. He says its neutrality "is widely respected, with rare exceptions. But the group says it's putting aid operations on hold while it assesses the attack."

"We need to understand more clearly what happened," ICRC Director of Operations Dominik Stillhart tells the BBC. "But... this is one of the most critical humanitarian contexts and we will definitely do everything to continue our operations there."

ICRC President Peter Maurer says, "These staff members were simply doing their duty, selflessly trying to help and support the local community."

He adds: "This is a huge tragedy. We're in shock."

Greg reports that "civilian casualties have been on the rise throughout Afghanistan, and this shooting came just a day after a suicide bomber struck at the Supreme Court in Kabul, killing at least 20."</s>The International Committee of the Red Cross says six of its staff members were shot dead and two are missing after their convoy was attacked by unknown assailants in Afghanistan.

The Red Cross workers were on their way to deliver livestock materials when they were attacked near the town of Shibergan in the northern province of Jawzan, close to Afghanistan's border with Turkmenistan. Reuters reports that the area has been pounded by snowstorms in recent days.

The ICRC says "it is not yet clear who carried out the attack or why."

The provincial police chief, Rahmatullah Turkistani, tells The Associated Press that the attack "was likely carried out by Islamic State militants, who have a presence in the area." The news service adds that no group has claimed responsibility for the attack and that the Taliban says it was not involved.

The ICRC has worked in Afghanistan for 30 years, NPR's Greg Myre reports. He says its neutrality "is widely respected, with rare exceptions. But the group says it's putting aid operations on hold while it assesses the attack."

"We need to understand more clearly what happened," ICRC Director of Operations Dominik Stillhart tells the BBC. "But... this is one of the most critical humanitarian contexts and we will definitely do everything to continue our operations there."

ICRC President Peter Maurer says, "These staff members were simply doing their duty, selflessly trying to help and support the local community."

He adds: "This is a huge tragedy. We're in shock."

Greg reports that "civilian casualties have been on the rise throughout Afghanistan, and this shooting came just a day after a suicide bomber struck at the Supreme Court in Kabul, killing at least 20."</s>The International Committee of the Red Cross says six of its staff members were shot dead and two are missing after their convoy was attacked by unknown assailants in Afghanistan.

The Red Cross workers were on their way to deliver livestock materials when they were attacked near the town of Shibergan in the northern province of Jawzan, close to Afghanistan's border with Turkmenistan. Reuters reports that the area has been pounded by snowstorms in recent days.

The ICRC says "it is not yet clear who carried out the attack or why."

The provincial police chief, Rahmatullah Turkistani, tells The Associated Press that the attack "was likely carried out by Islamic State militants, who have a presence in the area." The news service adds that no group has claimed responsibility for the attack and that the Taliban says it was not involved.

The ICRC has worked in Afghanistan for 30 years, NPR's Greg Myre reports. He says its neutrality "is widely respected, with rare exceptions. But the group says it's putting aid operations on hold while it assesses the attack."

"We need to understand more clearly what happened," ICRC Director of Operations Dominik Stillhart tells the BBC. "But... this is one of the most critical humanitarian contexts and we will definitely do everything to continue our operations there."

ICRC President Peter Maurer says, "These staff members were simply doing their duty, selflessly trying to help and support the local community."

He adds: "This is a huge tragedy. We're in shock."

Greg reports that "civilian casualties have been on the rise throughout Afghanistan, and this shooting came just a day after a suicide bomber struck at the Supreme Court in Kabul, killing at least 20."</s>The International Committee of the Red Cross says six of its staff members were shot dead and two are missing after their convoy was attacked by unknown assailants in Afghanistan.

The Red Cross workers were on their way to deliver livestock materials when they were attacked near the town of Shibergan in the northern province of Jawzan, close to Afghanistan's border with Turkmenistan. Reuters reports that the area has been pounded by snowstorms in recent days.

The ICRC says "it is not yet clear who carried out the attack or why."

The provincial police chief, Rahmatullah Turkistani, tells The Associated Press that the attack "was likely carried out by Islamic State militants, who have a presence in the area." The news service adds that no group has claimed responsibility for the attack and that the Taliban says it was not involved.

The ICRC has worked in Afghanistan for 30 years, NPR's Greg Myre reports. He says its neutrality "is widely respected, with rare exceptions. But the group says it's putting aid operations on hold while it assesses the attack."

"We need to understand more clearly what happened," ICRC Director of Operations Dominik Stillhart tells the BBC. "But... this is one of the most critical humanitarian contexts and we will definitely do everything to continue our operations there."

ICRC President Peter Maurer says, "These staff members were simply doing their duty, selflessly trying to help and support the local community."

He adds: "This is a huge tragedy. We're in shock."

Greg reports that "civilian casualties have been on the rise throughout Afghanistan, and this shooting came just a day after a suicide bomber struck at the Supreme Court in Kabul, killing at least 20."</s>At least six Afghan employees of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were killed on Wednesday by suspected Isis gunmen in northern Afghanistan.

Another two employees were unaccounted for after the attack in Jowzjan province, ICRC spokesman Thomas Glass said.</s>The International Committee of the Red Cross says six of its staff members were shot dead and two are missing after their convoy was attacked by unknown assailants in Afghanistan.

The Red Cross workers were on their way to deliver livestock materials when they were attacked near the town of Shibergan in the northern province of Jawzan, close to Afghanistan's border with Turkmenistan. Reuters reports that the area has been pounded by snowstorms in recent days.

The ICRC says "it is not yet clear who carried out the attack or why."

The provincial police chief, Rahmatullah Turkistani, tells The Associated Press that the attack "was likely carried out by Islamic State militants, who have a presence in the area." The news service adds that no group has claimed responsibility for the attack and that the Taliban says it was not involved.

The ICRC has worked in Afghanistan for 30 years, NPR's Greg Myre reports. He says its neutrality "is widely respected, with rare exceptions. But the group says it's putting aid operations on hold while it assesses the attack."

"We need to understand more clearly what happened," ICRC Director of Operations Dominik Stillhart tells the BBC. "But... this is one of the most critical humanitarian contexts and we will definitely do everything to continue our operations there."

ICRC President Peter Maurer says, "These staff members were simply doing their duty, selflessly trying to help and support the local community."

He adds: "This is a huge tragedy. We're in shock."

Greg reports that "civilian casualties have been on the rise throughout Afghanistan, and this shooting came just a day after a suicide bomber struck at the Supreme Court in Kabul, killing at least 20."
Six Afghan Red Cross workers are shot dead by suspected ISIL militants in the northern Jowzjan Province. Two other Red Cross workers are reportedly abducted.