Miliband tribute to Kabul victim of suicide attack

Labour leader Ed Miliband has paid tribute to European election candidate Del Singh who died in a devastating suicide attack in Afghanistan.

Mr Singh, a Labour Party MEP candidate for the South East, was one of two Britons among 21 dead in the attack in Kabul.

The blast occurred at the Taverna du Liban restaurant, which is popular with tourists and westerners in the Afghan capital.

The suicide attacker detonated his explosives outside the gate of the heavily fortified restaurant, Afghanistan’s deputy interior minister Mohammad Ayoub Salangi said.

Two gunmen then entered the restaurant and started shooting. It is believed they were eventually shot dead by security forces when they arrived at the scene.

Mr Singh, who previously worked for the executive office of the Deputy Prime Minister, was working as an international adviser supporting the Afghan Budget Department in Kabul.

Mr Miliband said: “My thoughts are with the family and friends of Del Singh.

“People everywhere will be appalled and shocked by this act of terror targeting members of the international community living and working in Kabul in the service of the Afghan people.

“Del spent more than 10 years carrying out vital work on development projects in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Sudan, Sierra Leone and other countries.

“He dedicated his life to working with people across the world who needed his support.”

The blast restaurant is in an area home to several embassies, non-governmental organisations and the homes and offices of Afghan officials, and like most places frequented by foreign diplomats, aid workers, journalists and businessmen in the war-weary country, has no signs indicating its location and is heavily secured

The UK Government confirmed the name of the other Briton killed in the attack as Simon Chase.

Mr Chase, a former British soldier, was originally from Merseyside but had been living in Limavady, Co Londonderry with his fiancee Norma McDowell.

The ex-Cheshire Regiment soldier had worked as a nightclub doorman in Limavady before travelling to Kabul to work in the security industry.