American nurse killed in Sidon, an armed Islamist is a suspect

Security officials in Sidon, south Lebanon, said that a suspected armed man killed an American woman working as a missionary by firing three bullets at a charity center for health care in Sidon in south Lebanon.

No side claimed responsibility for the incident, but the employees at the center said that the Anglican church center which runs a clinic to serve pregnant women had received several messages of warning from extremist Lebanese Islamic groups against the for the closure of the center.

Security officials said that bullets were fired at 7 a.m. morning yesterday at Bony Wabtrol ( 31 year old), who is a nurse assistant while on her way to enter the health center. In a statement, the American embassy in Beirut confirmed the killing incident but gave no further details.

A security source said that initial investigation showed that that one armed man killed Wabtrol -- who is married to a British, by firing three bulletsat her. One of the center's employees who asked not to be identified said that the church which runs a clinic and a school continued to stay in Sidon despite warnings.