The two Canadians killed in Friday’s Taliban attack on a Kabul restaurant were both senior auditors with a firm based in Gatineau, Que.
Peter McSheffrey, 49, of Ottawa and Martin Glazer of Gatineau were killed on Friday when a suicide bomber and two gunmen attacked La Taverna du Liban restaurant in Kabul.
Both worked at the financial services company Samson & Associates and were in Afghanistan on business.
In all, 21 people were killed in the restaurant attack, officials said Saturday, in the deadliest violence against foreign civilians in Afghanistan since the start of the war nearly 13 years ago.
Company president Pierre Samson said McSheffrey and Glazer had been in the country for less than a week, working with Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada. They were due back in Canada next week.
McSheffrey was a consultant for Samson for less than a year, but he liked to travel, according to his brother Robert.
Victim of 'senseless violence,' brother says
Born in Montreal but raised in Ottawa, McSheffrey volunteered with SOS Children’s Villages Canada, serving as a treasurer on their board of directors.
“Peter was a beloved husband, father, brother and son. His family and friends are all grieving this tragic and shocking loss,” Robert said in a written statement.
"What makes this particularly difficult for the family is that Peter was a victim of senseless violence against innocent people. Peter loved to travel and was doing meaningful work.
“Our family thanks everyone for their good wishes during this difficult time and asks that everyone respect our privacy,” he wrote.
Martin Glazer was an avid mountain biker and cross-country skier who spent nine years with Samson & Associates. He was also a member of the Ottawa Mountain Biking Association.
The 21 victims also include the head of the International Monetary Fund in Afghanistan, three United Nations staff and a member of the European Police Mission in Afghanistan.