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Suicide bomb attack on Kabul restaurant 'kills 14' | |
(35 minutes later) | |
At least 14 people have been killed in a suicide bomb attack on a restaurant popular with foreigners in the Afghan capital, officials say. | |
Foreigners and Afghans are among the dead following the blast in Kabul's Wazir Akbar Khan neighbourhood. | |
The area is home to a number of foreign embassies and organisations. | The area is home to a number of foreign embassies and organisations. |
The attack happened on a Friday evening when the Taverna du Liban restaurant would have been busy with diners. | |
A suicide attacker detonated his explosives outside the gate of the heavily-fortified restaurant, a high-level security source told the BBC. | |
Two gunmen then entered the restaurant. They were shot dead by security forces who arrived quickly at the scene. | |
Witnesses said they heard about 20 minutes of gunfire following the blast. | |
The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had been deliberately targeting foreign officials. | |
The last remaining contingent of Nato forces is due to leave Afghanistan by the end of the year, having handed over security to Afghan forces. | |
Washington is pushing Afghan President Hamid Karzai to sign an agreement which would allow some US troops to stay behind after this year's withdrawal. | |
The Taliban told the BBC's John Simpson earlier this week that it was now back in control of large areas of Afghanistan and was confident of returning to power after Western troops left. | |
Our correspondent says it is hard to believe the Taliban could make a comeback as things stand, but their takeover of Kabul in 1996 was unexpected, and they could be strengthened if a weak, corrupt president is elected in April. | Our correspondent says it is hard to believe the Taliban could make a comeback as things stand, but their takeover of Kabul in 1996 was unexpected, and they could be strengthened if a weak, corrupt president is elected in April. |