BBC journalist killed in Afghanistan

A BBC journalist working in Afghanistan's Helmand province was found dead Sunday, a day after he was kidnapped.

Abdul Samad Rohani, a native Afghan and BBC regional reporter, was abducted from the city of Lashkar Gar on Saturday. His body was found dumped in a cemetery, a spokeswoman for the pubcaster confirmed. He apparently was shot in the head.

Rohani had reported for the BBC from Helmand for the broadcaster's local Pashto-language service and worked as part of the same team as BBC Kabul correspondent Alastair Leithead.

BBC world news editor John Williams paid tribute to the reporter and his work for the BBC.

"Rohani's courage and dedication have been a key part of the BBC's reporting from Afghanistan in recent years," Williams said. "His bravery - and that of his colleagues - have allowed us to tell the key story for audiences in the U.K., Afghanistan and around the world."

In 2007, the BBC's Gaza correspondent, Alan Johnston, was kidnapped and held for four months before his release, which followed diplomatic initiatives and an awareness campaign that included BBC director general Mark Thompson's trip to the region to lobby for Johnston's release.