A friend of a sacked Sussex airport worker killed by American bombs in Afghanistan has denied he was a member of Taliban forces.

Yasir Khan, from Crawley, died during air raids on the Afghan capital Kabul, an Islamic group reported last night.

Two days after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the US Mr Khan, 28, had been sacked from his job as a driver and loader for a Gatwick-based airline food company for refusing to switch to another work pattern.

Two more Britons, Aftab Manzoor, 25, and Afzal Munir, in his early 20s, from Luton, and two American Muslims who had joined the Taliban were also killed.

Hasan Butt, leader of the al-Muhajiroun in Lahore, Pakistan, said: "All of them had gone to Afghanistan in early October to wage jihad (holy war) against the unjust policies of America.

"We have learned from our contacts that they were martyred by the American bombing on Wednesday."

The identities of the two Americans killed is still unknown, according to Mr Butt, a British subject.

He said the five were not members of al-Muhajiroun, a Muslim political organisation promoting the establishment of a "true Islamic state" in Pakistan.

A spokesman for the Crawley mosque where Mr Khan worshiped said members of the dead man's family lived in Pakistan, not far from the border.

Until last month Mr Khan lived with his mother in Bilberry Close, Broadfield.

A family friend who answered the door today said his mother was too upset to talk and denied Mr Khan was a member of any extremist group.

He said: "He was in a mosque praying at the time when a bomb hit the mosque. He was killed instantly.

"He had gone back to his family village before the bombing started because he wanted to help with humanitarian work. He always wanted to help people, particularly poor people. "

The family friend insisted: "He was good Muslim, not a member of an extreme group. He wanted to help get food for his tribe, the Durrani. He was interested in joining the police."

Mr Khan had rung home two weeks ago, said the friend. His mother had been planning to go to Pakistan to visit him and he had asked her to take him a pair of sunglasses, he added.

The man said Mr Khan was an only-son. He had two sisters in the UK but his father was dead.

Mr Khan worked as a driver/loader for Gatwick-based catering company LSG Sky Chefs from April 18 until September 13.

A company spokesman said: "Full security checks were made before he was employed. There was nothing that would ring any alarm bells."

The spokesman said that a downturn in business following the September 11 attacks meant driver/loaders were asked to change to another work pattern. Mr Khan refused and was dismissed.

Mr Khan was a regular visitor to one of the two mosques in Crawley.

A mosque spokesman said: "Everyone goes back to visit their families and he was always very welfare-orientated.

"He was probably doing some welfare stuff, handing out blankets or food or something to refugees."

Only recently, Mr Khan had helped redecorate the mosque.

The spokesman said: "He was a very conscientious person, helping people in need. He was a very kind, quiet person. He would do anything for anybody. I'm very shocked and saddened that what happened has happened. It is a loss to the community."

Some friends of Mr Manzoor, a courier, insisted he must have died in a car accident while visiting his wife and baby daughter in Pakistan rather than during a US raid.

One neighbour said: "He's a practising Muslim but I wouldn't see him as one of the Taliban."

Munir, the other man who died, is believed to have left for Afghanistan weeks ago.

A muslim neighbour said: "He was a very friendly boy. Who brainwashed him, we don't know. It's very strange."