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The number of attacks, kidnappings and murders of international humanitarian aid workers around the world hit record levels in 2008 as politically motivated violence surged, according to a report released Monday by the Center on International Cooperation and the Overseas Development Institute. Increasing violence in Afghanistan, Sudan and Somalia are primary drivers of the surge that saw 260 aid workers fall victim to violent attacks, with 122 killed. Researchers also reported a significant upsurge in attacks on locally hired staff.