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>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>KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - The Latest on developments in Afghanistan (all times local):

A spokesman for the Kabul police chief says at least six people have been wounded in a coordinated attack against security forces in the eastern part of the capital Kabul.

Basir Mujahid says the six were transferred to a hospital for treatment.

Officials say a suicide bomber detonated his explosives Wednesday and then other insurgents started a gun battle with forces in the area.

Mujahid says security forces are in control of the area and there isn't any shooting now.

Mujahid says initial reports indicate that the target of the attack was a security company called G4S. He couldn't provide any other details on the company.

Najib Danish, spokesman for Afghanistan's Interior Ministry, says there's been a coordinated attack against security forces in the eastern part of the capital Kabul.

He says a suicide bomber detonated his explosives Wednesday and then other insurgents started a gun battle with forces in the area.

Danish says there are casualties but the number of dead and wounded was not immediately clear.

An Afghan official has reported a loud explosion in the capital Kabul.

Nasart Rahimi, deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry, says there are no immediate details.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but both Taliban and Islamic State group insurgents are active in Kabul.

The explosion comes after at least 30 civilians were killed, along with 16 Taliban fighters, by government forces battling the insurgents in Helmand province overnight.

An Afghan official says that at least 30 civilians have been killed, along with 16 Taliban fighters, as government forces battled the insurgents in Helmand province overnight.

Attahullah Afghan, who heads the provincial council, says most of the casualties - including men, women and children - incurred in an airstrike that hit a house on Tuesday night during military operations there.

A statement from governor's office in Helmand confirmed that 16 Taliban insurgents were killed and said an investigation was underway to determine civilian casualties.

It says the militants had stockpiled ammunition in the area of the operation, which could have caused civilian casualties. There was also a car packed with explosives that ignited during the strike.

Qari Yusouf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, claimed all the victims were civilians.</s>KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - The Latest on developments in Afghanistan (all times local):

A spokesman for the Kabul police chief says at least six people have been wounded in a coordinated attack against security forces in the eastern part of the capital Kabul.

Basir Mujahid says the six were transferred to a hospital for treatment.

Officials say a suicide bomber detonated his explosives Wednesday and then other insurgents started a gun battle with forces in the area.

Mujahid says security forces are in control of the area and there isn't any shooting now.

Mujahid says initial reports indicate that the target of the attack was a security company called G4S. He couldn't provide any other details on the company.

Najib Danish, spokesman for Afghanistan's Interior Ministry, says there's been a coordinated attack against security forces in the eastern part of the capital Kabul.

He says a suicide bomber detonated his explosives Wednesday and then other insurgents started a gun battle with forces in the area.

Danish says there are casualties but the number of dead and wounded was not immediately clear.

An Afghan official has reported a loud explosion in the capital Kabul.

Nasart Rahimi, deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry, says there are no immediate details.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but both Taliban and Islamic State group insurgents are active in Kabul.

The explosion comes after at least 30 civilians were killed, along with 16 Taliban fighters, by government forces battling the insurgents in Helmand province overnight.

An Afghan official says that at least 30 civilians have been killed, along with 16 Taliban fighters, as government forces battled the insurgents in Helmand province overnight.

Attahullah Afghan, who heads the provincial council, says most of the casualties - including men, women and children - incurred in an airstrike that hit a house on Tuesday night during military operations there.

A statement from governor's office in Helmand confirmed that 16 Taliban insurgents were killed and said an investigation was underway to determine civilian casualties.

It says the militants had stockpiled ammunition in the area of the operation, which could have caused civilian casualties. There was also a car packed with explosives that ignited during the strike.

Qari Yusouf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, claimed all the victims were civilians.</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>The Latest on developments in Afghanistan (all times local):

A spokesman for the Afghan Public Health Ministry says at least one person has been killed and 12 wounded in a coordinated attack by Taliban insurgents against security forces in the eastern part of the capital Kabul.

The wounded have been transferred to hospitals from the Wednesday attack site, says Wahid Majroh.

Officials say a suicide bomber detonated his explosives and then other insurgents started a gun battle with forces in the area. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Basir Mujahid, spokesman for the Kabul police chief, says security forces have started a clean-up operation and there is no sound of gunfire. The forces are looking around for any other possible attackers, he added.

A spokesman for the Kabul police chief says at least six people have been wounded in a coordinated attack against security forces in the eastern part of the capital Kabul.

Basir Mujahid says the six were transferred to a hospital for treatment.

Officials say a suicide bomber detonated his explosives Wednesday and then other insurgents started a gun battle with forces in the area.

Mujahid says security forces are in control of the area and there isn't any shooting now.

Mujahid says initial reports indicate that the target of the attack was a security company called G4S. He couldn't provide any other details on the company.

Najib Danish, spokesman for Afghanistan's Interior Ministry, says there's been a coordinated attack against security forces in the eastern part of the capital Kabul.

He says a suicide bomber detonated his explosives Wednesday and then other insurgents started a gun battle with forces in the area.

Danish says there are casualties but the number of dead and wounded was not immediately clear.

An Afghan official has reported a loud explosion in the capital Kabul.

Nasart Rahimi, deputy spokesman for the Interior Ministry, says there are no immediate details.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but both Taliban and Islamic State group insurgents are active in Kabul.

The explosion comes after at least 30 civilians were killed, along with 16 Taliban fighters, by government forces battling the insurgents in Helmand province overnight.

An Afghan official says that at least 30 civilians have been killed, along with 16 Taliban fighters, as government forces battled the insurgents in Helmand province overnight.

Attahullah Afghan, who heads the provincial council, says most of the casualties — including men, women and children — incurred in an airstrike that hit a house on Tuesday night during military operations there.

A statement from governor's office in Helmand confirmed that 16 Taliban insurgents were killed and said an investigation was underway to determine civilian casualties.

It says the militants had stockpiled ammunition in the area of the operation, which could have caused civilian casualties. There was also a car packed with explosives that ignited during the strike.

Qari Yusouf Ahmadi, a Taliban spokesman, claimed all the victims were civilians.</s>At least 10 killed in Kabul attack, Afghan official says

KABUL — Taliban insurgents staged a coordinated attack targeting a security firm in the Afghan capital on Wednesday, killing at least 10 people and wounding 19 others, as the U.S. said an air strike hours earlier in Helmand province that reportedly killed civilians was conducted by American aircraft.

Wednesday’s attack in eastern Kabul took place when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives and other insurgents started a gunbattle with security forces in the area, Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said.

The assault came hours after provincial officials said at least 30 civilians were killed along with 16 Taliban fighters during the overnight battle between Afghan government forces and insurgents in southern Helmand province.

A local official, Attahullah Afghan, said most of the civilian casualties — which included men, women and children — came when an air strike hit a house in the central Helmand River valley, a Taliban heartland. U.S. officials said it happened in Helmand’s Garmsir district.

A U.S. military spokesman in Kabul said the air strike was carried out by American aircraft called in to back Afghan “special security forces” after they came under heavy Taliban fire.

Maj. Bariki Mallya, the spokesman, said in an email exchange that the air strike was conducted in self-defense after Taliban fighters armed with rocket-propelled grenades and heavy machine guns retreated into a compound and continued firing on Afghan government forces and their American advisers.

“In self-defense, the ground force called an air strike,” Mallya said. “After the strike, there were secondary explosions, we assess from explosives inside the compound. At the time of the strike, the ground force was unaware of any civilians in or around the compound; they only knew that the Taliban were using the building as a fighting position.”

Mallya declined to say what the U.S. knew about civilian casualties or whether the incident was under U.S. investigation. In a prepared statement, he said the U.S. investigates every “credible allegation of error and reviews every mission to learn, adapt and improve.”

A statement from the governor’s office in Helmand confirmed that 16 Taliban insurgents were killed and said that an investigation was under way to determine the number of civilian casualties.

It said the militants had stockpiled ammunition in the area of the operation, which could have caused civilian casualties. There was also a car packed with explosives that ignited during the strike, the statement added.

Abdul Wadod Popul, a lawmaker from Helmand, also confirmed the civilian casualties.

“The area is under Taliban’s control and is very difficult to get a precise number of casualties,” he said in Kabul.

The resurgent Taliban, who in recent years have taken over nearly half of Afghanistan, claimed the attack Wednesday in Kabul.

Kabul police spokesman Basir Mujahid said the target of the attack was a security company called G4S.

The attacks were the latest in a series of brutal and near-daily Taliban assaults on military and police forces and government and other installations throughout the country.

Rahim Faiez And Robert Burns are Associated Press writers.</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>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.
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.