An Afghan security guard has opened fire on a group of foreign doctors at a Kabul hospital, killing three American physicians.
A US nurse was wounded in the attack, which took place at Cure International Hospital in the west of the Afghan capital.
Two of the three victims were a father and son who were visiting the facility; the third one was a doctor who had worked in Kabul for seven years, said Minister of Health Soraya Dalil.
A family member identified one of the victims as a paediatrician from Chicago who moved to Afghanistan in 2005.
Angie Schuitema told the AP news agency that her son-in-law Dr Jerry Umanos was among those killed in the shooting.
Dr Bruce Rowell, from Chicago's Lawndale Christian Health Center, where Dr Umanos worked for more than 25 years, said his former colleague was "for many of us on staff, the paediatrician for our very own children".
He added: "This loss is a great loss for his family, for those of us he worked with as well as for the people of Afghanistan. He was a loving and caring physician who served all of his patients with the utmost of respect."
The attacker was a member of the Afghan Public Protection Force assigned to guard the hospital, according to District Police Chief Hafiz Khan.
He said the man's motive was not yet clear.
The gunman, who was wounded, had surgery at the same hospital and was in recovery.
The man, who is kept under police custody, will be questioned later.
The 100-bed hospital specialises in children's and maternal care and is considered one of Afghanistan's leading hospitals. It is run by children's charity Cure International, based in Pennsylvania.
The group's chief financial officer Mark Knech told reporters outside its headquarters that the organisation "remains committed to serve the people of Afghanistan".
He also asked for prayers for "the families of the victims and those affected by the shooting, as well as the peace in Afghanistan".
The attack is the latest to target foreigners in the country.
Two Britons died in January when suicide attackers and gunmen killed a dozen people at a Kabul restaurant.
Nine people also died in March during an attack on an upmarket hotel restaurant in the city.
Earlier this month a man dressed as a policeman shot two Associated Press journalists, killing Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Anja Niedringhaus.
Attacks on Westerners, civilians and security services have increased this year as the country votes for a new president to replace Hamid Karzai.
Afghans voted on April 5 and preliminary results are expected this weekend.
A run-off is thought likely between former Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah and former World Bank economist Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai.
Source-Skyn
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