Four Taliban insurgents were killed, said Wahid Majoroh, a spokesman for the Afghan public health ministry.

According to NEWSREP sources, the contractors were caught completely unaware. The compound was used as a sort of safe house for contractors conducting close-protection (CP) details for private and public customers. There was a static security force, led by a British contractor, that was responsible for perimeter defence. Survivors of the attack state that it was like Benghazi — referring to the 2012 attacks by terrorists against State Department and CIA facilities in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the death of four Americans.

It took hours for the Afghan commandos who responded to the attack to clear the compound of the remaining Taliban fighters. Footage of the aftermath reveals the intensity of the fight: a huge crater where the VBIED started the attack, flattened buildings, choking smoke, dozens of wounded.

The facility is G4S’ headquarters in Afghanistan. At 26,000 square metres, the compound is located at Kabul’s Anjuman Secure Business Park. As one of the largest private security companies in the world, G4S provides security and close protection services to a wide range of clients. In Afghanistan, for example, the company is responsible for the security of the U.K. embassy in Kabul. G4S employees hail from across the world.

In a statement, Charlie Burbridge, Managing Director of G4S, said, “We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the British Embassy, the Foreign and the 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.”

He added, “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.”