British hostage killed by fragment wounds

Linda Norgrove, the kidnapped British aid worker killed during an attempted rescue by US forces in Afghanistan, died of penetrating “fragment injuries” to her head and chest, an inquest heard yesterday. US and Nato officials had initially believed Ms...

Linda Norgrove, the kidnapped British aid worker killed during an attempted rescue by US forces in Afghanistan, died of penetrating “fragment injuries” to her head and chest, an inquest heard yesterday.

US and Nato officials had initially believed Ms Norgrove was killed when one of her Taliban captors blew up a suicide vest – but a subsequent military review of the operation suggested she may have been killed by a rescuer’s grenade.

Police detective chief inspector Colin Smith revealed details of the post-mortem examination as the inquest into the death began at the coroner’s court in Salisbury, England.

Pathologist Doctor Russell De-laney carried out a post-mortem examination on October 19 and found the cause of death to be “penetrating fragment injuries to the head and chest”, the inquest heard.

Ms Norgrove, 36, was kidnapped on September 26 in Kunar province, a hotbed of Taliban activity in eastern Afghanistan. She was killed during an October 8 rescue mission.

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