70-Year-Old Malaysian Killed In Deadly Suicide Bomb And Gun Attack In Afghanistan
Former head of economics in the Finance Ministry Dr V.N. Gnanathurai was among 21 people who were killed in the Kabul suicide attack on 17 January 2014.
By Mei Mei Chu — 20 Jan 2014, 12:54 PM — Updated over 10 years ago
The Remains Of The Malaysian Who Was Killed By The Talibans In Afghanistan Will Be Flown Home In The Next Few Days
The remains of a Malaysian who was one of the 21 people killed in a suicide attack on a restaurant in Kabul, Afghanistan, last Friday are expected to be flown home here either on Wednesday or Thursday.
thestar.com.myHowever, this has yet to be confirmed by Adam Smith International, the employer of the late economist and former civil servant Dr Gnanathurai Nagarajah, said Gnanathurai's brother Premnath, 54, when contacted today.
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"After the body is flown here, we will have it taken straight to the crematorium in Kampung Tunku, Petaling Jaya, for the funeral," he added.
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Premnath said family members were still in shock over Gnanathurai's death.
He said his mother, Nagaratnam, 88, who was recuperating from a stroke, was still unable to come to terms with the situation.
"She was crying yesterday but I don't think she understands until she sees the body," he added.
thestar.com.myPremnath said other family members and relatives had begun gathering at the family home in Pantai Towers here while awaiting the arrival of others from overseas.
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The Remains Of The Malaysian Who Was Killed By The Talibans In Afghanistan Will Be Flown Home In The Next Few Days
Image via utusan.com.my21 People, Including A Malaysian, Were Killed In A Suicide Attack By The Taliban In Kabul, Afghanistan
A Taliban suicide bomber and gunmen attacked a restaurant popular with foreigners in the Afghan capital yesterday evening, killing up to 21 people including four United Nations staff and the IMF's top representative in Afghanistan.
themalaysianinsider.com
Al Jazeera's Jane Ferguson, reporting from Kabul, said that the attack was a significant "breach of security" in the area of Kabul.
aljazeera.comOn Friday Night (17 Jan 2014), A Suicide Bomber Blew Himself Up Near A Popular Lebanese Restaurant That Was Often Frequented By Expats And Foreign Diplomats
The attack happened on a Friday 7.30pm when the Taverna du Liban restaurant would have been busy with diners. The suicide attacker detonated his explosives outside the gate of the heavily-fortified restaurant, the Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad Ayoub Salangi said.
The BBC's Mahfouz Zubaide heard the blast and gunfire from at least two kilometres away. He said the gunfire went on sporadically for about 10 minutes.
Two Other Gunmen Entered The Restaurant After The Blast And Gunned Down Customers. Gunfire Continued For About 20 Minutes.
"First there was a suicide attack near a restaurant for foreigners where a man detonated his explosives attached to his body, and then possibly one or two insurgents entered the restaurant," one Afghan security source said.
aljazeera.comTwo gunmen then entered the restaurant and started "indiscriminately killing" people inside.
Shots could be heard ringing across the capital's diplomatic district for minutes after the first blast.
Several kitchen staff survived by fleeing to the roof, where they hid until they were rescued by police.
themalaysianinsider.com
"The scenes inside the restaurant is quite incredible," she said. "Anybody inside seems unlikely to escape from the gunmen.
aljazeera.comThe AP Described It As The "Deadliest Attack Against Foreign Civilians Since The War Began Nearly 13 Years Ago"
A Taliban attack against a popular Kabul restaurant killed 21 people, officials said Saturday, in the deadliest attack against foreign civilians since the war began nearly 13 years ago.
go.comSuch attacks in the past have prompted a mass exodus of foreign staff from the country, and the insecurity has been compounded by the refusal of Afghan President Hamid Karzai to sign a security deal with the United States that would keep about 10,000 troops here for up to 10 more years.
go.comForeign casualties were taken to a military base in Kabul. At a hospital morgue near the attack, Afghans screamed and cried as they mourned attack victims, some pressing scarves to their faces to stifle sobs. One young man, grieving for his dead father, kicked a wall and howled.
themalaysianinsider.com
The Taliban Has Claimed Responsibility For The Attack, Describing It As A "Revenge Attack" Targeted At "Invaders"
WORLD IMF, UN officials among 21 killed in Kabul suicide attack JANUARY 18, 2014 A man smashes the windscreen of a damaged car, in order for him to be able to have a clear view when driving it away from the site of a suicide attack at a Lebanese restaurant in Kabul today.
Image via themalaysianinsider.comThe Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was in reprisal for an Afghan military operation earlier in the week against insurgents in eastern Parwan province, which the insurgents claimed killed many civilians. The Taliban frequently provide exaggerated casualty figures.
go.com"The target of the attack was a restaurant frequented by high-ranking foreigners," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in an emailed statement. He said the attack targeted a place "where the invaders used to dine with booze and liquor in the plenty."
go.comHe described the "revenge attack" as having delivered a "heavy admonitory blow to the enemy which they shall never forget."
go.comOther Victims Of The Attack Include The Head Of The IMF's Afghanistan Office, Eight Afghans, And Three UN Staff
Britons Del Singh and Simon Chase were killed in Friday's suicide attack in Kabul
Image via bbcimg.co.ukKabul police chief Mohammad Zahir said the victims included 13 foreigners and eight Afghans; two Britons, two Canadians, a Malaysian, a Dane, a Russian, two Lebanese, a Somali-American and a Pakistani. At least four people were wounded, and about eight Afghans, mostly the kitchen staff, survived.
theguardian.com
The head of the International Monetary Fund's Afghanistan office and three UN staff of the were also killed in the attack on Friday evening, along with the Lebanese restaurant owner, several Afghans, and two Canadians.
theguardian.com
The Foreign Office named one of the British victims as Dhamender Singh Phangurha, who is better known as Del Singh, a Labour candidate for the European elections. The other Briton has been named as Simon Chase from County Londonderry, who was the bodyguard of a Danish, female police officer who was also killed. A spokeswoman said she did not believe there were any other British injuries.
theguardian.com
Afghan Officials Say The Insurgents Were Shot Dead
Afghan security forces arrive at the scene of an explosion in Kabul yesterday. At least 13 people, including both Afghans and foreigners, were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up near a popular Lebanese restaurant in the Afghan capital Kabul, police said.
Image via themalaysianinsider.comThe attackers were eventually shot dead by the security forces when they arrived at the scene.
The attack will make life increasingly difficult for the foreign agencies, both private and governmental, which administer billions of pounds of aid and development projects in Afghanistan. Most international staff are subject to elaborate security arrangements and defences, which the Taliban have demonstrated can be neutralised when they want. It is possible they will decide that the risks are too great for foreign staff, and end or reduce their projects.
theguardian.com
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon Has Strongly Condemned The Attack, Calling It A "Breach Of Humanitarian Law"
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned "in the strongest terms the horrific attack", his spokesman said.
"Such targeted attacks against civilians are completely unacceptable and are in flagrant breach of international humanitarian law. They must stop immediately," Mr Ban was quoted as saying.
Afghan security forces load an injured man at the back of police car at the site of an explosion in Kabul, yesterday.
Image via themalaysianinsider.comThe Taverna Du Liban Restaurant, Which Was In The Wazir Akbar Khan District, Was One Of The More Secure Restaurant In The Area
An Afghan policeman stands outside a Lebanese restaurant, the site of a suicide attack, in Kabul January 18, 2014.
Image via themalaymailonline.comThe restaurant had been running for several years, and was a favourite haunt for foreigners, including diplomats, contractors, journalists and aid workers.
A couple of armed guards were usually on duty at the front entrance, which led to a courtyard in front of the main ground floor dining room.
themalaysianinsider.com
Like many restaurants in Kabul, it ran strict security checks with diners patted down by armed guards and passing through at least two steel doors before gaining entry.
themalaysianinsider.com
"The restaurant was known to be one of the more secure in the area and has therefore been given a green-light by many expatriate and official organizations," said Michael Smith, the president of the American University of Afghanistan.
go.comMalaysia's Foreign Ministry Has Confirmed That Dr V.N. Gnanathurai, Who Was Serving As An Advisor At The Afghanistan Finance Ministry, Was Killed In The Terrorist Attack
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman (pic) has confirmed that a Malaysian citizen was among those killed in a suicide attack at a restaurant in Kabul, Afghanistan on Friday.
themalaysianinsider.com
Gnanathurai Nagarajah was Adam Smith International's Budget Policy and Reform Advisor, one of the project's most senior advisors. He was helping to reform the national budget process for Afghanistan, making it more effective, transparent, and accountable.
adamsmithinternational.comGnana was a key member of a team that helped achieve huge improvements in the Afghan budgeting process, not least one of the most rapid increases in budget transparency seen anywhere in the world. Their award-winning work to increase the effectiveness of public spending has made a real difference to the lives of ordinary Afghans.
adamsmithinternational.comThe 70-Year-Old Man Was A "Bright And Devoted Civil Servant" Who Once Served As The Former Head Of Economics In Malaysia's Finance Ministry In The 1970s
Former deputy secretary-general of the Treasury Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam has described Dr V.N. Gnanathurai, who was killed in a Kabul bomb blast on Friday, as a “bright and devoted” civil servant.
themalaymailonline.com
Gnanathurai was the former head of economics in the Finance Ministry in the 1970s before serving as a senior economics officer for about 10 years.
“He showed high commitment serving the country. He was a real credit to the nation’s civil service as a diplomatic administrative officer,” said Navaratnam.
Navaratnam said Gnanathurai also viewed former deputy secretary of treasury Datuk Malek Merican as a “guru” to him.
“The country is proud of its faithful son Gnanathurai,” he said.
An Afghan policeman stands outside a Lebanese restaurant, the site of a suicide attack, in Kabul January 18, 2014. — Reuters pic An Afghan policeman stands outside a Lebanese restaurant, the site of a suicide attack, in Kabul January 18, 2014. — Reuters pic PETALING JAYA, Jan 20 — Former deputy secretary-general of the Treasury Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam has described Dr V.N. Gnanathurai, who was killed in a Kabul bomb blast on Friday, as a “bright and devoted” civil servant. Gnanathurai was the former head of economics in the Finance Ministry in the 1970s before serving as a senior economics officer for about 10 years. “He showed high commitment serving the country. He was a real credit to the nation’s civil service as a diplomatic administrative officer,” said Navaratnam, Gnanathurai, 70, was among 21 people killed in an attack on the Taverna du Liban restaurant on Friday evening. It was reported that gunmen burst into the Lebanese restaurant, spraying diners with bullets, then a bomber blew himself up near the entrance at about 7.30pm local time. The Kuala Lumpur-born Gnanathurai was an adviser with Adam Smith International, a London-based company supporting the Afghan Budget Department in Kabul. He had been posted to Afghanistan for seven years as part of the country’s reconstruction efforts following the defeat of the Taliban in 2003. Gnana, as he was fondly known, was the company’s budget policy and reform adviser who helped reform Afghanistan’s national budget process to make it more effective and transparent. Gnana, as he was fondly known, was the company’s budget policy and reform adviser who helped reform Afghanistan’s national budget process to make it more effective and transparent. Gnana, as he was fondly known, was the company’s budget policy and reform adviser who helped reform Afghanistan’s national budget process to make it more effective and transparent.
Image via themalaymailonline.comAdam Smith International's managing director William Morrison said Gnana was known for his razor-sharp mind, deep experience and kind-heartedness, which made him likeable and respected by many. "It was impossible not to love him for his generosity. He also loved to cook elaborate meals for his friends. He thought the best of everyone and always looked out for the welfare of others."
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Dr V.N. Gnanathurai's Family Are Now Coordinating Arrangements To Bring His Remains Back To Malaysia
Flowers and placards placed outside the restaurant to commemorate those who died in the attack.
Image via imgur.comGnanathurai's younger brother, Premnath Nagarajah, 54, said the family wanted to bring his sibling's remains back to Malaysia before they started making funeral arrangements.
"Our mother, Nagaratnam Nagarajah, 88, lives in Pantai Tower here, and most of our relatives are gathering at her house after hearing about the news."
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Premnath said the family were awaiting the arrival of Amit and Aschwin, who are planning to come to Malaysia to attend the funeral at the Kampung Tunku crematorium.
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Gnanathurai's younger sister, Nirmala Nagarajah, 49, who was choked with emotion when contacted by the New Straits Times, said she last met her brother when he spent Deepavali here.
"It is such a huge shock as I had spoken to him on the phone last Wednesday."
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