17 Jan 14: Two Canadians among the dead in Kabul suicide bombing

[The_Falcon]

Very very bad day yesterday

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/01/17/two-canadians-among-16-killed-in-afghan-explosion/

OTTAWA — Two Canadians were among 16 people who died in a brutal suicide attack on Friday at a restaurant in the Afghanistan capital of Kabul, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird’s office confirmed.

There was no further information about the two Canadian victims. Baird’s office said it could not release further information due to privacy concerns.

Canada is winding up a military training mission in Afghanistan, but sources in the Department of National Defence told The Canadian Press that no uniformed personnel were among the casualties.

The restaurant is located close to Canada’s embassy in Kabul and is a popular spot for Canadians living and visiting the capital.

“Canada condemns in the strongest possible terms the targeted, cowardly terrorist attack today on a restaurant in Kabul,” Baird said in an emailed statement.

Related
Christie Blatchford: Still no easy answer to whether Canadian mission in Afghanistan was ‘worth it’
U.S. officials receive new video of soldier kidnapped by Taliban in Afghanistan four years ago
.“On behalf of all Canadians, we extend our sincerest condolences to the families and friends of those who were killed and injured in this horrible and senseless act of terror.”

Afghan officials said a suicide bomber blew himself up outside La Taverna du Liban, which was filled with foreigners and affluent Afghans, while two gunmen snuck in through the back door and opened fire.

The Taliban claimed responsibility within an hour of the attack. It’s part of a stepped-up campaign of violence against foreign and government interests to send a message that the militants are not going anywhere as the U.S.-led coalition winds down its combat mission at the end of the year.

The bombing served as a reminder that although militant violence in the capital has dropped off in recent months, insurgents remain capable of carrying out attacks inside the most heavily guarded areas.

Kabul police chief Gen. Mohammad Zahir Zahir said the 16 people killed were all inside the restaurant. He said both foreigners and Afghans were among the dead, but he did not provide a breakdown. Officials said at least four other people were wounded.

Three United Nations personnel were among those killed, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said. The three were not identified. Britain’s Foreign Office confirmed late Friday that a British national was among the dead.

The International Monetary Fund’s representative in Afghanistan, Wabel Abdallah, also was among those killed.

With files from The Associated Press

  .

 

[The Bread Guy]

R.I.P.   

This from DFAIT:

Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement following a deadly terrorist attack on a restaurant in Kabul which has claimed the lives of many, and left many more injured. At this point, we can confirm that two Canadian citizens have died in the attack.

“Canada condemns in the strongest possible terms the targeted, cowardly terrorist attack today on a restaurant in Kabul.

“On behalf of all Canadians, we extend our sincerest condolences to the families and friends of those who were killed and injured in this horrible and senseless act of terror.

“Acts of brutal terror cannot be allowed to go unpunished. Those who perpetrated this act of violence and those who support the Taliban, who have claimed responsibility for the attack, must be held accountable.

“This attack only enhances our resolve to combat terrorism in all its forms. Canada is committed to the people of Afghanistan and to those who believe Afghanistan can one day see peace, security and prosperity.”

Due to privacy concerns, and out of respect for the families of those Canadians killed in today's attack, further information will not be made available.

This from The Canadian Press:

Two Canadians were among 16 people who died in a brutal suicide attack on Friday at a restaurant in the Afghanistan capital of Kabul, Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird's office confirmed. There was no further information about the two Canadian victims. Baird's office said it could not release further information due to privacy concerns.

Canada is winding up a military training mission in Afghanistan, but sources in the Department of National Defence said that no uniformed personnel were among the casualties.

The restaurant is located close to Canada's embassy in Kabul and is a popular spot for Canadians living and visiting the capital.

"Canada condemns in the strongest possible terms the targeted, cowardly terrorist attack today on a restaurant in Kabul," Baird said in an emailed statement.

"On behalf of all Canadians, we extend our sincerest condolences to the families and friends of those who were killed and injured in this horrible and senseless act of terror."

Afghan officials said a suicide bomber blew himself up outside La Taverna du Liban, which was filled with foreigners and affluent Afghans, while two gunmen snuck in through the back door and opened fire.

The Taliban claimed responsibility within an hour of the attack. It's part of a stepped-up campaign of violence against foreign and government interests to send a message that the militants are not going anywhere as the U.S.-led coalition winds down its combat mission at the end of the year ....

From the Taliban taking credit for the murder (screen capture also attached if you don't want to click on a Taliban web site) - note map in Taliban statement showing all the nearby embassies:

The coordinated group martyrdom attack which struck the restaurant ‘Taverna du Liban’ of foreign invaders at 07:30 pm last night lasted till 09:30 pm local time in which the invaders suffered heavy losses, according to officials.

The target of the attack was a restaurant frequented by high ranking foreigners located on 14th street of Wazir Akbar Khan area in Kabul city where the invaders used to dine with booze and liquor in the plenty.

The successful operation was carried out very professionally by 3 heroic martyrdom seekers of Islamic Emirate armed with heavy and light weapons as well as explosives vests.

The attack was in retaliation to the massacre carried out by foreign invaders 2 days earlier in Parwan province's Siyah Gerd district where the enemy airstrikes destroyed up to 10 homes, razed several orchards as well as killing and wounding up to 30 innocent civilians mostly defenseless women and children.

Reliable information received up to this point indicate that the successful revenge operation resulted in 29 high ranking foreign invaders and 8 hireling Afghans killed as well as tens of others wounded.

The inconsistent and contradictory reports handed out by the security forces of the stooge Kabul regime regarding the attack in itself show the precision and heavy toll inflicted by the powerful operation.

The fighting finally came to an end two hours later when the last Mujahid embraced martyrdom after delivering a heavy admonitory blow to the enemy which they shall never forget.

Spokesman of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Zabihullah Mujahid
18/01/2014 Hijri Lunar
28/10/1392 Hijri Solar                    18/01/2014 Gregorian​

EDITED to add screen capture of initial Taliban report of attack, claiming mostly German casualties.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Emphasis mine:

ISAF strongly condemns the brutal Taliban attack on a Kabul restaurant yesterday which resulted in the deaths of more than a dozen civilians.

"I express my deepest sympathies to the victims and families of those wounded and killed in last night's brutal and senseless attack," said Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., the ISAF commander.  "Once again the Taliban have demonstrated their complete disregard for human life and shown their intent for the future of Afghanistan.  The Taliban must stop premeditated and indiscriminate slaughter of civilians, especially on those who are working to bring stability and prosperity to the Afghan people.”

The Kabul City Police and the Crisis Response Unit CRU-222 demonstrated a high level of professionalism and competence in their quick response to contain the scene and kill the insurgents inside the restaurant. 

Among the casualties were Afghan citizens and civilian representatives of international organizations committed to bringing economic and humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan.

ISAF, 18 Jan 14

Edited to add links to statements from the UN mission in Afghanistan, the Security Council and the U.N. Secretary-General

 

[The Bread Guy]

... according to the latest here ....

Ottawa financial consultant Peter McSheffrey has been identified as one of the two local men killed in the Kabul bombing Friday night.

His brother, Robert McSheffrey emailed the Citizen a statement from the family, saying that they are all “grieving this tragic and shocking loss.

“Peter was a beloved husband, father, brother and son,” it read. “What makes this particularly difficult for the family is that Peter was a victim of senseless violence against innocent people. Peter loved to travel and was doing meaningful work.”

McSheffrey and another male employee of a Gatineau-based management consulting firm were the two Canadians among the 21 confirmed dead by Afghan police ....

.... and here:

One of two Canadians killed in a suicide bombing in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul on Friday was a man from Gatineau.

A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a restaurant that was filled with foreigners and affluent Afghans, say officials, and at the same time two gunmen entered through the back door and opened fire.

In all, 16 people are confirmed dead.

CTV Ottawa has learned that Martin Glazer of Gatineau was among them.

He was a chartered accountant, who worked at Samson and Associates, and those who knew him say he often travelled for work.

Glazer's family was informed of his death on Friday ....

More here:

The two Canadians killed in a deadly suicide bombing in Afghanistan on Friday worked for a Quebec accounting firm, their employer has confirmed.

Pierre Samson told CTV News Channel on Saturday that the two men, one from Gatineau and another from Ottawa, were doing auditing work for the Canadian International Development Agency in Afghanistan ....

 

[McG]

Apparently, the attack marked the deadliest event for non-Afghan civilians since the start of the war:  http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Afghan+restaurant+attack+that+killed+people+deadliest+foreign/9404566/story.html

 

[McG]

One opinion that this was inevitable:
http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/01/19/afganistan-terrorist-attack-that-killed-two-canadians-and-19-others-was-a-long-time-coming/

 

[The Bread Guy]

This from Pakistan media:

Afghanistan's National Security Council, which is chaired by President Hamid Karzai, on Sunday accused "foreign intelligence services" of being behind the deadly attack on a Kabul restaurant, in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

"The NSC said such sophisticated and complex attacks are not the work of the ordinary Taliban, and said without doubt foreign intelligence services beyond the border are behind such bloody attacks," a statement from the palace said.

"Beyond the border" is a phrase commonly used by the Afghan government to refer to Pakistan ....