A British veteran and dad-of-one has been killed in a Taliban attack on a security firm's base in Kabul.

Luke Griffin, 33, from Rainhill, is one of six people who died in the attack. He was working for the security firm G4S Risk Management.

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 Rainhill with his partner.

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

In a statement, managing director of G4S Risk Management Group, Charlie Burbridge, 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 on 28 November 2018.

“Our thoughts at this difficult time are with loved ones of those who have died and been injured, and our brave team in Afghanistan who have lost colleagues and friends. We are offering support and counselling to all of those affected.

“We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the British Embassy, the foreign and Commonwealth office, the British in 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 incident such as this will not prevent the vital work that the international community conducts from continuing."

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.