Bodies of Five Aid Workers From Save the Children Found After Violent Week in Afghanistan

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The bodies of five Afghan aid workers from the organization Save the Children have been found weeks after they were abducted in central Afghanistan. A militant group reportedly killed the hostages after the Afghan government rejected a request to swap them for prisoners.

A spokesman for the governor of Afghanistan's Uruzgan province blamed the Taliban for the deaths, according to AFP.

"The Taliban had kidnapped the aid workers and were demanding the release of some of their colleagues in government custody," Dost Mohammad Nayab said. "After their demand was rejected, they shot and killed the aid workers."

The workers were kidnapped March 3. Their bodies were reportedly found Friday in Uruzgan's Chanarto district.

Save the Children CEO Justin Forsyth confirmed the deaths Sunday morning on Twitter.

Tragically 5 of our brave Afghan staff have been killed. Everyone at — Justin Forsyth (@justinforsyth)April 12, 2015

Mark Bowden, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan, said he was "deeply saddened" by the killing and called for increased protection of aid workers.

"I share the grief of our colleagues at Save the Children International and the families of those killed," Bowden said in a statement. "Afghanistan is one of the most challenging places for the humanitarian community with death, kidnappings and attacks against humanitarians all too frequent an occurrence."

According to the Guardian, 81 aid workers were killed in 2013 in Afghanistan, making it the world's most dangerous country for relief workers. The UN said 57 aid workers were killed last year in Afghanistan.

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The grisly discovery of the Save the Children workers comes after another violent week in the country.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for a suicide car bomb in the eastern city of Jalalabad that targeted an American envoy Friday, killing at least four civilians and injuring a dozen others. A roadside bomb also killed 12 civilians traveling Friday in the eastern Ghazni province.

Three Taliban commanders were reportedly killed in a drone strike Saturday, according to Afghanistan's TOLOnews network.

Abdullah Abdullah, the chief executive officer in the Afghan unity government, also addressed the situation of 31 members of the country's Hazara ethnic group abducted by militants in February. A group that claims affiliation with the Islamic State is allegedly responsible for the kidnapping.

According to government officials, the hostages have been offered in exchange for the freedom of 12 insurgents currently in Afghan custody. Abdullah visited the families of the hostages at a site where they have been protesting in Kabul, but said the government would not swap them for prisoners for fear of setting a dangerous precedent.

Follow Gillian Mohney on Twitter: @gillianmohney