A 60-year-old Australian charity worker in Afghanistan was kidnapped at gunpoint by two men who talked their way into her compound by posing as Afghan intelligence officers, the chairman of her organisation has said. 
Dominic d'Angelo, chairman of the charity Zardozi, told Fairfax Media he believed that no contact had yet been made with the kidnappers.
Katherine Jane Wilson, who goes by the name Kerry, was taken about 5am on Thursday from her office in the eastern city of Jalalabad. Local authorities were interviewing the NGO's staff members, Mr d'Angelo said.
"My understanding is that two people came to the door at approximately five o'clock yesterday morning claiming to be members of the Afghan national directorate of security and spoke to the gatekeeper of the building, who let them in, at which point they produced guns," he said.
"At the moment the Afghan authorities are talking to the various ... staff of the NGO in Jalalabad ... trying to find out more information," Mr d'Angelo said. "As far as I'm aware, there's been no contact with the people who have taken her so far."
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop confirmed Australian authorities were working with Afghan counterparts, who believed Dr Wilson had been kidnapped. The government was "working with the local authorities, and our embassy in Kabul of course is deeply involved in this matter", Ms Bishop said.
She said the government was also in close contact with Dr Wilson's family.
Dr Wilson lives in Kabul and has been in Afghanistan nearly 20 years. She was due to fly to Perth to visit her father this weekend.
Brian Wilson, 91, told the ABC in Perth that he was "extremely worried" for his daughter. He said his message to her was: "Do your best; come back."
Mr d'Angelo said kidnappings for ransom were "a regular occurrence in Jalalabad".
He said he believed there was a third kidnapper with a vehicle outside the compound on Thursday morning, and that militant groups such as the Taliban and al-Qaeda were present in the Jalalabad region.
Local journalist Bilal Sarwary said police and intelligence officers had already made several arrests, including a rickshaw driver, a guard and a baker.
It was believed the woman's kidnappers were local gang members and not from terrorist groups.