Militants in an explosion and firing attack at a luxury hotel in
Afghan capital Kabul killed four hotel employees and injured six
other people Monday evening, the interior ministry said.
Afghan Interior Ministry Spokesman Zamarai Bashari confirmed
that suicide explosion and gun-fighting went off at Serena Hotel in
the central city but did not give the identities of the
casualties.
The incident took place at around 6:15 p.m. (GMT 1345) in Serena
Hotel, a five-star one usually frequented by foreigners and
dignitaries and several bombing bangs had been heard across the
city.
Bashari said the hotel now is under full control of security
personnel.
Local TV channel reports and witnesses earlier said that some
armed men after firing with guards at the hotel gate, killing one
guard, entered the compound and after that there was a huge
explosion and gun-firing inside the hotel.
Zabihullah Mujahed, a purported spokesman for the Taliban, told
Xinhua via phone from an unknown location that his outfit took the
responsibility for the attack targeting foreigners in the
hotel.
Mujahed said four Taliban entered the hotel and then one of
them, a suicide bomber called Faruq from eastern Afghan province of
Khost, blew himself up.
He added that three other fighters opened fire and after several
minutes of firing they escaped from the scene.
War-torn Afghanistan has seen a resurgence of Taliban-related
militancy since some three years ago and rising violence claimed
over 6,000 lives in the country last year, hitting a record high
since the Taliban regime fall in late 2001.
The Taliban insurgents continued to engage Afghan security
forces and foreign troops with guerrilla-style attacks, besides
launching roadside bombing and suicide attacks, across the
country.
Both Afghans and NATO commanders have expected more Taliban
attacks this year in Afghanistan.
(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2008)
