8/9/2019 Kabul Suicide Attack British Security Contractor Among Three Dead

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Kabul suicide attack: British securitycontractor among three dead

 Taliban claim responsibility for attack near airport on convoy belonging

to EU police mission that also killed two Afgan girls and injured others

Object1  

Sune Engel Rasmussen in Kabul0-!unday "# $ay %"&

A British security contractor was among three people killed in Kabul on

!unday when a suicide bomber attacked a convoy belonging to

the European Union police mission 'Eupol( outside the Afghan capital)s

airport*

A spokesperson for the British embassy in Kabul con+rmed that a British

man had died but declined to give further details before receiving approval

from ne,t of kin*

 Two Afghan girls were also killed in the attack- according to Kabir Amiri- a

spokesperson for public hospitals in Kabul- who said an additional people

had been injured* According to Eupol- another two of its service members

sustained non.serious injuries*

8/9/2019 Kabul Suicide Attack British Security Contractor Among Three Dead

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 The foreign secretary- /hilip 0ammond- said in a statement: 12 can con+rm

that a British security contractor is among those killed in the attack* 0is

family has been informed and my thoughts are with them at this incredibly

di3cult time*4

 

Afghan and foreign security forces inspect the site of the suicide attack near Kabul airport* /hotograph: !hah

$arai5A6/57etty 2mages

 The European Union)s foreign policy chief- 6ederica $ogherini- said theBritish victim had been part of the mission)s close protection team*

2n a statement on Twitter- a Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for

the attack* The insurgents have ramped up violence as part of their annual

spring o8ensive- which they have claimed will target foreign invaders and

their 1agents4*

0owever- all the Afghan casualties in !unday)s attacks were civilians-

authorities said* !edi9 !edi99i- spokesman for the interior ministry- said

that aside from the two girls killed- the injured included eight women and

three children*

abiullah $ujahed- a spokesman for the Taliban- con+rmed to the 7uardian

that a suicide attacker from ;ogar province had struck the foreign convoy

outside the airport* Asked whether the Taliban intended to target civilians

as part of their o8ensive- the spokesman denied the number of civilian

8/9/2019 Kabul Suicide Attack British Security Contractor Among Three Dead

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casualties claimed by authorities*

!edi99i said: 1Their target has always been civilians *** They use civilians as

shields* The target of this spring o8ensive- we don)t see a di8erence*4

 The attack occurred around <am- when the airport is at its busiest- with

passengers arriving for domestic and international =ights- and cars 9ueuing

up in a roundabout outside the entrance gate to get through security

control*

 The bomber drove a white Toyota >orolla and struck about %% metres from

the main airport entrance- when the European police convoy was on its way

to a ?atomilitary installation nearby- a police spokesman- Ebadullah Karimi-

told news agencies* The blast from the e,plosion could be heard severalmiles away- from where a white plume of smoke could also be seen*

A shopkeeper- 6raidon Khan- said he saw the car slam into a convoy of

foreigners* 12 saw three dead bodies* @ne of them was a child and two were

women-4 he told euters*

 The attack at the airport caps a bloody week for civilians in Kabul* @n

ednesday- gunmen killed +ve Afghans and nine foreigners at a

guesthouse in the capital- including several aid workers* @ne of the victims

was an Afghan.British national*

 The Taliban also claimed to have been behind that attack- stating that the

victims- who had gathered to watch a music performance- were targeted

because they were foreigners*

“ This is the second attack in a matter of days for which the Taliban have

claimed responsibility and 2 strongly condemn their cowardly actions-4foreign secretary 0ammond said*

“ These attacks must not stop the people of Afghanistan- with the support of 

the international community- working towards a more peaceful future*4

Eupol chief- /ia !tjernvall said: 12 can assure you that this appalling crime

8/9/2019 Kabul Suicide Attack British Security Contractor Among Three Dead

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will not stop Eupol from continuing its support to the people and

government of Afghanistan*4

 The rise in attacks has taken a heavy toll on Afghan civilians- according to

the United ?ations Assistance $ission in Afghanistan 'Unama(* 2n the +rst

four months of %"&- civilian casualties from attacks jumped "CD over the

same period last year- a recent Unama statement said*

Posted by Thavam