Blasts hit British Council in Kabul

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the suicide attack.

The identities of all the victims are still unknown, but five Afghans, three Nepalese guards and one foreign soldier are believed to have died in the incident.

Five Taliban attackers either blew themselves up or were killed in the ensuing firefight during the siege of a British cultural centre, which lasted for more than eight hours.

The attack took place in the early hours of Independence Day, which marks the country’s full independence from Britain in 1919.

A suicide bomber in car blew himself up in front of the gate of the British Council in Kabul before dawn, and another car packed with explosives detonated moments later while four attackers stormed the compound, police said.

It is not clear if the attack is connected to the anniversary.

The assailants fought against Afghan security forces inside the building, which is not part of the main British embassy in the diplomatic area of Kabul.

The Foreign Office has confirmed that all the insurgents involved in the attack have been killed.

‘vicious and cowardly’

The UK nationals caught up in the atrocity are now recovering at the British embassy in Kabul and have been told they can return home if they want.

They include two female English teachers and a male protection officer.

The British Council also has 25 Afghan staff but they are not based at the compound and none was harmed.

Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the “vicious and cowardly attack” and said it would not stop Britain carrying out its work in Afghanistan.

Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt described the attacks as “despicable”.

He added: “It is a sad fact that once again an attack aimed at the international community has killed Afghans.

“This attack, against people working to help build a better future for Afghanistan, will not lessen the UK’s resolve to support the Afghan people.”

Gunfire and smoke

Kabul police official Farooq Asas said a suicide bomber detonated a car laden with explosives and a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry confirmed the blasts had taken place. The blasts shattered glass in buildings a third of a mile from the site, and gunfire and smoke were reported in the area.

The British Council offices were protected by Nepalese former Gurkha security guards, reports said.

The British Council is a registered charity, described as the UK’s international relations body and part funded by the UK Government. Its work in Afghanistan includes education and English language teaching.

The attack on the organisation follows a wave of violence across Afghanistan. On Thursday a roadside bomb in western Afghanistan killed 21 passengers on a minibus, while in the east of the country a suicide bomber killed two Afghan security guards at a base. The Taliban claimed responsibility for that strike.

While violence has been increasing in the country as security is handed over in various areas by British and American troops to the Afghan authorities, attacks in the capital remain relatively rare.

Earlier this year a Taliban attack on an international hotel in Kabul left nine people dead.