A Taliban attack against a British security contractor compound in Kabul left six dead and dozens wounded. The facility belongs to the G4S Risk Management Group and is located in the eastern part of the Afghan capital.
Luke Griffin, a British security contractor from Liverpool, has been identified as one of the dead. Griffin had previously served in the British military as an infantryman. He had seen combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. The other five were Afghan. All Taliban insurgents were killed during the attack.
According to the Afghan Interior Ministry, the attack began with the detonation of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) outside the compound. Thereafter, a group of Taliban entered the base and began shooting anyone on sight.
According to NEWSREP sources, the contractors were caught completely unaware. The compound was used as a sort of safe house for contractors conducting close-protection (CP) details for private and public customers. There was a static security force, led by a British contractor, that was responsible for perimeter defence. Survivors of the attack state that it was like Benghazi — referring to the 2012 attacks by terrorists against State Department and CIA facilities in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the death of four Americans.
It took hours for the Afghan commandos who responded to the attack to clear the compound of the remaining Taliban fighters. Footage of the aftermath reveals the intensity of the fight: a huge crater where the VBIED started the attack, flattened buildings, choking smoke, dozens of wounded.
The facility is G4S’ headquarters in Afghanistan. At 26,000 square metres, the compound is located at Kabul’s Anjuman Secure Business Park. As one of the largest private security companies in the world, G4S provides security and close protection services to a wide range of clients. In Afghanistan, for example, the company is responsible for the security of the U.K. embassy in Kabul. G4S employees hail from across the world.
In a statement, Charlie Burbridge, Managing Director of G4S, said, “We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the British Embassy, the Foreign and the 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.”
He added, “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.”
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