British man killed in Kabul named as Michael Hampshire

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32788577

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A British man killed in a car bomb attack in Afghanistan on Sunday has been named by the Foreign Office as Michael Hampshire from Huddersfield.

His family said he was "a loving fiance, son, grandson, brother, uncle, cousin and a friend to everyone who knew him".

He was a security contractor for the EU police mission in Afghanistan.

Three people were killed in total after the Taliban launched a suicide bomb attack in the Afghan capital Kabul.

Two Afghan teenage girls, described as bystanders, died in the blast, while at least 18 people were injured.

The attack took place near the entrance to the international airport and targeted an EU police training mission vehicle.

'Highly professional'

Mr Hampshire, who was known as Mic, was working for the close protection team of the EU Police Mission in Afghanistan (Eupol), which supports the Afghan government in building a civilian police force.

In a statement released by the Foreign Office, Mr Hampshire's family said: "No words can explain what we are going through at this time and we will miss Michael dearly.

"We would like to take this opportunity to thank people for the messages we have received but would now like, as a family, to grieve for Michael in peace."

On Sunday, Eupol released a statement confirming one of its security officers had been killed and two staff members had been injured.

Eupol head of mission Pia Stjernvall said the "dedicated and highly professional officer" died while protecting members of the mission.

"My thoughts are with the family and friends of our colleague and all the others who were involved with this tragic and cowardly attack against people who have come to this country simply to help the people of Afghanistan," she said.

"At the same time my thoughts are with the Afghans who were victims of this attack."