Freed German safe and well outside Afghanistan

KABUL, Aug 21 (Reuters) A pregnant German aid worker kidnapped in Afghanistan then freed by police at the weekend is in perfect health and has now left the country, her employer said today.

Armed men snatched Christina Meier from a restaurant on Saturday as she was having lunch with her husband. As she was being driven away, a taxi driver was killed in crossfire between police and the kidnappers.

Meier later appeared on a video pleading with Berlin to do all it could to secure her release. But Afghan police stormed the kidnappers' hideout late on Sunday and rescued her.

''She has undergone medical checks and is in perfect health,'' Ora-International country director Joop Teeuwen told a news conference. After police freed her, ''with her husband she was brought to a safe location outside of Afghanistan,'' he said.

Ora-International is a small Christian aid group working in health and community development in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

It has now suspended its operations in Afghanistan pending a review of the security situation.

Afghan officials say her kidnappers were criminals, rather than Taliban insurgents who have abducted around 30 foreigners and Afghans in little more than a month.

''My impression is it was more a by chance operation, but we have to wait until investigations are concluded,'' Teeuwen said.

Taliban kidnappers have killed two South Koreans and one German hostage and are still holding 19 Koreans, another German and at least four Afghans.

REUTERS LPB VV1529