Updated

The U.S. embassy and Afghan officials say an American civilian who reportedly worked as an electrical engineer in northern Afghanistan has been killed by gunmen.

The U.S. Embassy on Tuesday could not provide further details because of privacy laws, but three Afghan security officials say the man, an electrical engineer working in Afghanistan for about 30 years, was shot Monday by gunmen as he rode in a mini-bus in northern Parwan province. The gunmen, two or three in number, also killed two Afghans, the driver and one of the man's colleagues, they said.

Shirin Agha, the police chief in Parwan's Siahgerd district, said on Tuesday that the American had been dressed in Afghan clothes and had a long beard.

Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the killings.