Labour Politician Among Afghan Bomb Victims

One of the two Britons killed in a suicide bombing in Kabul was a Labour candidate in the forthcoming European Elections.

Party leader Ed Miliband confirmed Del Singh, who was standing for the South East region, had died and said he was "appalled and shocked by this barbarous act of terror".

Mr Singh had spent more than a decade carrying out "vital work" and "dedicated his life to working with people across the world who needed his support", he added.

The candidate was among 21 people killed in the attack at the city's Taverna du Liban restaurant on Friday, a spot popular with tourists and Westerners. A suicide bomber blew himself up outside and two gunmen entered and opened fire.

A total of thirteen foreigners died, including two US citizens and two Canadians. It is the deadliest attack on foreign nationals in the country since the start of the war in Afghanistan in 2001.

Special forces arrive at the scene of the attack

The other Briton killed has been named as ex-soldier Simon Chase, who was originally from Merseyside but living in Limavady in County Londonderry.

A former Cheshire Regiment soldier, Mr Chase had worked as a nightclub doorman before travelling to Kabul to work in the security industry. It is understood he lived with his fiancee Norma McDowell and two children.

Paying tribute, Gerry Mullan, Mayor of Limavady, said: "There is cloud that has descended upon the local community who are very shocked and saddened by his loss. He was a well-known and well-respected figure in the community."

The death toll includes five women, four of them foreign and one from Afghanistan. Three members of staff at the United Nations also died in the blast, as did Wabel Abdallah, the head of the International Monetary Fund in the country.

An Afghan official said the gunmen were shot dead by security forces when they arrived at the restaurant. Sporadic bouts of gunfire could be heard for around an hour after the explosion.

Atiqullah, an assistant chef who witnessed the attack, said: "There was blood everywhere, on tables, on chairs, apparently the attackers had shot people from a very close range."

The Taliban claimed responsibility. Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the attack was launched in retaliation for an operation on Tuesday that killed seven children and one woman. He said the bombing had delivered a "heavy admonitory blow to the enemy which they shall never forget".

Afghan president Hamid Karzai condemned the attack and said the US was doing enough to fight "terrorism".

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