The British citizen killed in a Taliban attack on a G4S compound in the Afghan capital has been named by the security firm as Luke Griffin.

Charlie Burbridge, the managing director of G4S Risk Management Group, said five of their employees died in the “unprovoked, criminal attack” – including one Briton and four Afghans – 32 others were also injured.

On Wednesday, a Taliban suicide bomber rammed an explosive-packed truck into the gate of the G4S compound in eastern Kabul.

Insurgents armed with grenades and automatic rifles then proceeded to storm the building, engaging in a drawn out battle with Afghan forces.

The suicide blast left a giant crater in its wake and blew out windows in nearby buildings. Six people were killed in the attack, as well as four insurgents, Afghan officials said.

A G4S spokesman has since confirmed that the British citizen killed in the attack on one of their compounds was Mr Griffin, who lived in the Merseyside area.

He said the 33-year-old had been working for the company for the past eight years.

It is understood that G4S have been providing security in Afghanistan to a number of bodies including non-governmental organisations and corporate clients since 2003.

The secure compound which was attacked is called Camp Anjuman and is where the security firm runs its security operations from in the country.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on Twitter.

The group has since said it was launched in revenge for a US airstrike which was carried out hours before in southern Afghanistan that killed 30 people – including civilians, as well as children. </s> Gunmen have attacked a British security contractors’ compound in Kabul, killing at least 10 people and wounding 19 hours after the Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, outlined plans for peace in the country.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attack, which began when a car bomb exploded outside a G4S facility on the main road leading eastwards out of the Afghan capital.

“A number of gunmen entered the G4S compound right after the car bomb,” said Najib Danish, a spokesman for the interior ministry.

The attack on a well-protected site underlines how insecure Kabul remains despite efforts by the US and the Afghan government to open peace talks with the Taliban to end more than 17 years of war.

“It is unfortunate and events like this bolster our resolve for peace,” said Hamdullah Mohib, the Afghan national security adviser, on the sidelines of a UN-sponsored conference in Geneva where Ghani repeated calls for peace with the Taliban.

Zabihullah Mujahid, one of the Taliban’s two official spokesmen, said the attack had been launched in retaliation for casualties caused by Afghan security forces in the southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar.

G4S is among a number of foreign security contractors that operate in Afghanistan and provides guards for the area around the British embassy in Kabul.

“We can confirm that there has been an incident at one of our locations in Kabul. The situation is ongoing and we are coordinating with Afghan authorities to bring it to a conclusion,” the company said.

An official from the public health ministry said city hospitals had taken at least 10 dead and 19 wounded but added that there was no definitive casualty figure because clearance operations were continuing into the night.

“There was a bang and right after that, all the windows and ceiling collapsed over the children. All of the doors were shattered,” said Hafizullah, whose three children were wounded in a house near the G4S compound. </s> A British citizen has been killed in an “unprovoked, criminal attack” by the Taliban on a G4S compound in the Afghan capital, the security firm has said.

Wahid Majoroh, Afghanistan’s public health ministry spokesman, said on Thursday that six people were killed, as well as four attackers, with dozens more left injured.

The incident, which happened on Wednesday, saw a Taliban suicide bomber detonate explosives as other insurgents battled Afghan forces in Kabul.

Charlie Burbridge, managing director of G4S Risk Management Group, said: “It is with great sadness that we can confirm that five of our employees were killed and 32 were injured – five of them seriously – in an unprovoked, criminal attack on one of our compounds in Kabul.”

The company said four of its employees who died were Afghan nationals, and one was British.

It is understood G4S has been providing security in Afghanistan to a number of bodies including non-governmental organisations and corporate clients since 2003.

The secure compound which was attacked by the Taliban is called Camp Anjuman, and is where the firm runs its security operations from in the central Asian country.

Mr Burbridge said the next of kin of those involved have been informed, adding that the company’s thoughts are with the families of those killed and injured, and with the “brave team in Afghanistan who have lost colleagues and friends”.

He added: “We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the British Embassy, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the British and Afghan armed forces, other Nato forces and other private security companies who have all assisted us as we ensure our operations in Kabul are secure and continue safely.

“We are committed to our security role in support of the people of Afghanistan, and we are determined that incidents such as this will not prevent the vital work that the international community conducts from continuing.”

The Foreign Office said it is aware of the incident and it is working with the authorities to establish further details.

The Taliban carry out near-daily attacks on Afghan security forces.

The latest in Kabul came hours after officials said at least 30 civilians were killed along with 16 Taliban fighters during a battle between government forces and insurgents in southern Helmand province.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, claimed responsibility for the Kabul attack in a statement posted on Twitter. The group later said it was in response to a US air strike which led to the deaths of civilians and children in the clash in southern Helmand.

The G4S website says it is the largest secure outsourcing company in the UK and Ireland.

“More than 10,000 customers, including 59 FTSE 100 companies, depend on G4S to provide them with a safe and secure way to deliver their services,” it adds. </s> A British security contractor, G4S, says five of its employees, including a Briton, were killed and 32 others injured in an overnight gun-and-bomb attack against one of its compounds in the Afghan capital Kabul.

The company said Thursday five employees have been “seriously” injured.

Afghan officials confirm the attack on the well-guarded facility in Kabul killed a total of 10 people and injured many more.

"We are committed to our security role in support of the people of Afghanistan, and we are determined that incidents such as this will not prevent the vital work that the international community conducts from continuing,” said Charlie Burbridge, the company’s managing director.

The Taliban has claimed responsibly for the suicide raid, saying it inflicted heavy casualties on both Afghan and “foreign occupying” forces inside the compound.

G4S is a leading global security company providing security for the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Afghanistan.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the attack began Wednesday with a suicide bomber exploding a vehicle-born bomb, making way for four other heavily armed “martyrdom seekers” to storm the compound.

He claimed the targeted compound was being used to plan attacks in Afghan provinces of Kandahar, Helmand and Nangarhar. Mujahid said the attack was a “response to recent enemy atrocities against civilians" in these provinces.

Afghan officials and residents have confirmed dozens of civilians, including women and children, have been killed in recent airstrikes in Kandahar, Helmand and Nangarhar.

The spike in insurgent attacks comes as the United States has renewed efforts for a negotiated settlement to the conflict with the Taliban.

U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan peace and reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, is leading the peace efforts. He has held two rounds of talks with Taliban representatives in Qatar in recent weeks.

“Yes, we are in a hurry to end the Afghan tragedy, the Afghan people deserve peace. They have been at war for 40 years," he told PBS TV on Wednesday when asked whether he was attempting to strike a peace deal before the Afghan presidential election in April.

“Everyone, starting with the President (Donald Trump), would like to see the war in Afghanistan end, that there would be reconciliation and peace among the warring factions,” he noted. </s> A gun battle between other insurgents and security forces unfolded shortly after, Afghanistan Interior Ministry spokesperson Najib Danish said.

The Taliban, who have taken over nearly half of Afghanistan in recent years, claimed the attack in a statement posted on Twitter.

The assault came hours after 30 civilians were killed in an overnight battle between Afghan forces and Taliban fighters in southern Helmand province.

A G4S spokesperson confirmed five of their employees were killed in the "unprovoked, criminal attack," including one British national.

"We are committed to our security role in support of the people of Afghanistan, and we are determined that incidents such as this will not prevent the vital work that the international community conducts from continuing," Charlie Burbridge, Managing Director of G4S, said.

US and NATO troops formally concluded their combat mission in Afghanistan in 2014, but still provide close support to Afghan forces and carry out counterterrorism operations.

Some 15,000 American forces are currently serving in Afghanistan, AP reports. </s> KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan officials have revised the number of casualties from a deadly Taliban attack the day before on the Kabul offices of a Britain-based security company to six people killed.

Earlier reports said the assault left 10 dead but Afghanistan’s public health ministry spokesman Wahid Majroh said on Thursday that four of the dead were attackers.

He says 23 people were wounded but didn’t identify any of the casualties. A suicide bomber detonated his explosives on Wednesday as other insurgents battled with Afghan forces near the security company called G4S.

The Taliban say the attack was revenge for a U.S. airstrike hours earlier in southern Afghanistan that killed 30 people, many of them civilians, including children.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claims all 10 dead are foreigners. Insurgents often exaggerate their claims.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Attacks in Afghan capital kill at least 24

KABUL, Sept 6 (Reuters) - A car bomb hit the centre of Kabul late on Monday, just hours after a Taliban suicide attack near the Defence Ministry killed at least 24 people including a number of senior security officials, and wounded 91 others, officials said.

Gunmen who followed the initial attack appeared to have barricaded themselves into a building and security forces blocked off a large area in the city centre.

After several hours of quiet overnight, sporadic gunfire and explosions could be heard as day broke but there was no immediate comment on the operation from police and no claim of responsibility.

Just a month before a conference in Brussels where international donors are expected to pledge continued financial support to Afghanistan, the attacks highlighted the precarious security climate in the capital.

Earlier on Monday, twin blasts in quick succession tore through an afternoon crowd in a bustling area of the city close to the Defence Ministry.

The Taliban immediately claimed responsibility for that attack, in which a suicide bomber caught security forces personnel and civilians who rushed to help victims of the first explosion.

"When the first explosion happened people crowded to the site and then the second blast occurred, which was really powerful and killed lots of people," said Samiullah Safi, who witnessed the attack.

An army general and two senior police commanders were among the dead, a Defence Ministry official said. Another official said the deputy head of President Ashraf Ghani's personal protection force had also been killed.

The double bombing came less than two weeks after gunmen attacked the American University in Kabul, killing 13 people.

It was the deadliest attack in Kabul since at least 80 people were killed by a suicide bomber who targeted a demonstration on July 23. That assault was claimed by Islamic State.

The Taliban's ability to conduct coordinated high profile attacks in the capital Kabul has piled pressure on the Western-backed government, which has struggled to reassure a war-weary population that it can guarantee security.

Afghanistan's foreign partners, concerned about the ability of the security forces to withstand Taliban violence, are expected to pledge support over coming years at the Brussels conference, three months after NATO members reaffirmed their commitment at a meeting in Warsaw.

Outside Kabul, the insurgents have stepped up their military campaign, threatening Laskkar Gah, capital of the strategic southern province of Helmand as well as Kunduz, the northern city they briefly took last year. (Additional reporting by Sayed Hassib; Writing by James Mackenzie; Editing by Alison Williams, Sandra Maler and Michael Perry) </s> Kabul: At least 12 people were killed and 179 others injured on Sunday in a suicide car bombing in Afghanistan`s Ghazni city. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.

"The attack took place in the morning at around 8.30 a.m. near a local base of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) in Ghazni city," Arif Noori, a spokesman for the governor of Ghazni province, told Efe news.

The victims comprised eight security personnel and four civilians, Noori said. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement.

"A key base of the National Directorate of Security in Ghazni city was targeted by a martyrdom-seeking attacker using a VBIED (vehicle-borne improvised explosive device).

"According to our initial information, the base was completely destroyed and tens of NDS forces and workers were killed and injured," Mujahid added.

The NDS said that the attack took place at a security check-post located at the first entrance of one of its facilities in Ghazni.

"Civilians living in nearby houses suffered the most," the NDS said, adding that "the site of the attack has now been cordoned off by the security forces."

This attack occurred on the same day that a round of intra-Afghan peace talks commenced in Qatar between the insurgents and a delegation including members of the Kabul government taking part in an unofficial and personal capacity.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack in a statement, labelling it a "crime against humanity" that proved them to be the enemy of the people.

"By conducting this terrorist attack, the Taliban showed a paradox in what they are saying and what they are doing. While they are holding talks in Qatar, every day in Afghanistan they are shedding more blood of innocent civilians," Ghani said.

Meanwhile, the Taliban are also holding talks with the US in Qatar. The insurgents have expressed their satisfaction with the advances made in the negotiations, focused on the withdrawal of US troops and the Taliban`s promise that no terror group will attack another country while based on Afghan soil.

However, the ongoing talks have not prevented the Taliban from carrying out brutal attacks such as a suicide bombing against a Defence Ministry facility in Kabul on July 1 that killed 11 people and left 65 injured. </s> KABUL - A car packed with explosives blew up near a heavily fortified foreign compound in Kabul on Monday, killing at least four people and wounding more than 90, officials said, in the latest deadly attack to rock the Afghan capital.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the huge blast, which shook the sprawling city, but it comes as diplomatic efforts to end the 17-year war with the Taliban gather pace.

The explosion happened near Green Village, a highly secure compound close to a busy road and residential neighbourhoods in the east of the city.

So far, four people had been confirmed dead and more than 90 wounded, including 23 children, interior ministry deputy spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said.

There are fears the toll could rise.

Three of the dead were members of the security forces and one was a civilian. Most of the wounded were civilians, who have long borne the brunt of the Afghan war.

Until recently some UN staff had lived and worked at the compound, which is protected by cement blast walls, but Danish said the area was now largely empty and "only a number of guards" were left.

"Special police forces' units have been deployed to the site to check if there are more attackers."

Afghanistan's customs office and headquarters for the Independent Election Commission, which has previously been targeted by militants, are also nearby.

The explosion happened in the early evening when traffic is normally heavy.

The last assault on a foreign compound was in late November when a Taliban-claimed vehicle bomb exploded outside the compound of British security firm G4S, killing at least 10 people.

Five G4S employees were among the dead.

That was followed by a suicide and gun attack on a government compound in Kabul on 24 December that killed at least 43 people, making it one of the deadliest assaults on the city last year.

The latest bombing comes as US peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad visits the region for further meetings aimed at bringing an end to the war in Afghanistan, which by some estimates was the world's deadliest conflict zone in 2018.

Khalilzad, who met Taliban representatives last month in Abu Dhabi, is travelling to Afghanistan as well as China, India and Pakistan on the trip lasting through 21 January.

Last month's leaking of US President Donald Trump's plan to slash troop numbers in Afghanistan, however, has threatened to derail those efforts and alarmed many Afghans who fear a return to oppressive Taliban rule.

The recent flurry of activity to get the Taliban to the negotiating table has caused disquiet in Afghanistan, with the government feeling sidelined from the discussions.

The Taliban has repeatedly refused to talk to Kabul, which it sees as a US puppet and ineffective.

Afghan security advisor Hamdullah Mohib is touring the region for talks with key powers, including China.
At least 10 people are killed and 19 are wounded in an attack on a compound of the G4S security contracting company in the Afghan capital Kabul. The Taliban's strategy seeks to strengthen its position before any formal negotiations.