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| Taliban attack on luxury hotel in Kabul kills 9 civilians | Taliban attack on luxury hotel in Kabul kills 9 civilians |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| KABUL — | KABUL — |
| Afghanistan on Friday acknowledged that an overnight attack by Taliban insurgents on a high-profile luxury hotel near the presidential palace in Kabul has claimed the lives of nine civilians, including at least four expatriates. | |
| Authorities initially said that four teenage gunmen were killed in the attack, and it took at least seven hours for officials to acknowledge that the toll also included the nine civilians. The late-evening raid on the Serena Hotel, largely used by visiting foreign dignitaries and diplomats, highlighted the militants’ ability to penetrate and conduct strikes in an area regarded as the most secure oasis in Kabul. | Authorities initially said that four teenage gunmen were killed in the attack, and it took at least seven hours for officials to acknowledge that the toll also included the nine civilians. The late-evening raid on the Serena Hotel, largely used by visiting foreign dignitaries and diplomats, highlighted the militants’ ability to penetrate and conduct strikes in an area regarded as the most secure oasis in Kabul. |
| The U.S. Embassy said later that an American-Bangladeshi dual national was among those killed in the hotel attack. Afghan officials issued conflicting statements about the nationalities of the victims. The Canadian government said two Canadians were killed. | |
| Three Afghan children between 2 and 5 years old were shot point-blank in the head, Reuters news agency reported. The Afghan victims included Sardar Ahmad, 40, a journalist for the Agence France-Presse news agency, along with his wife and two daughters, Ahmad’s brother Turaj said by telephone. Sardar’s young son was shot in the head, chest and leg and was reported to be in critical condition. | |
| The attack on the Serena shocked many Afghans and foreigners. It followed an assault in January that killed 21 guests, 13 of them foreigners, in a Lebanese restaurant in Kabul’s diplomatic enclave. | The attack on the Serena shocked many Afghans and foreigners. It followed an assault in January that killed 21 guests, 13 of them foreigners, in a Lebanese restaurant in Kabul’s diplomatic enclave. |
| In the Serena attack, Afghan officials said they were stunned by how the four assailants managed to get their weapons — small pistols hidden in their shoes and socks — past a gantlet of three separate lines of hotel security, including body searches and metal detectors for people and X-ray machines for luggage. Afghan authorities said they were investigating to determine whether hotel guards had any hand in the attack. | |
| A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said in an e-mail that his group was behind the attack. The Taliban had information that nationals of “occupying countries,” as well as Afghan government officials and some “corrupt” lawmakers, were at the hotel to celebrate the Afghan new year, he said. | A Taliban spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said in an e-mail that his group was behind the attack. The Taliban had information that nationals of “occupying countries,” as well as Afghan government officials and some “corrupt” lawmakers, were at the hotel to celebrate the Afghan new year, he said. |
| In a statement released by the presidential palace, President Hamid Karzai said that “this admissible and inhumane act is the work of the enemies of the Afghan people who do not want security and lasting stability in our country.’’ | In a statement released by the presidential palace, President Hamid Karzai said that “this admissible and inhumane act is the work of the enemies of the Afghan people who do not want security and lasting stability in our country.’’ |
| An Interior Ministry spokesman, Sediq Sediqqi, said the attack on the hotel, following the restaurant attack and the killing last week of a foreign journalist, represented a “new trend.” He said the strikes were part of an effort to sabotage the country’s April 5 presidential election, which the Taliban has vowed to derail. | An Interior Ministry spokesman, Sediq Sediqqi, said the attack on the hotel, following the restaurant attack and the killing last week of a foreign journalist, represented a “new trend.” He said the strikes were part of an effort to sabotage the country’s April 5 presidential election, which the Taliban has vowed to derail. |
| Sediqqi said the attackers entered the Serena disguised as guests, then later opened fire on diners at the hotel restaurant. | Sediqqi said the attackers entered the Serena disguised as guests, then later opened fire on diners at the hotel restaurant. |
| Six people — including an Afghan lawmaker, two policemen, a hotel guard, a foreigner and Ahmad’s son — were wounded, a police officer said. The U.S. Embassy said there were no reports of any casualties among its staff. | |
| The Serena was also the target of a 2008 attack that killed hotel guests, but security was subsequently beefed up. The hotel is protected by private guards, not the Afghan government. | The Serena was also the target of a 2008 attack that killed hotel guests, but security was subsequently beefed up. The hotel is protected by private guards, not the Afghan government. |
| Afghans have been gathering to mark the beginning of the traditional new year. On Friday, a number of Afghans, including a deputy governor and a top aide, were wounded in a bomb blast in the southern city of Kandahar. The bomb had apparently been hidden in a box of fruit. | Afghans have been gathering to mark the beginning of the traditional new year. On Friday, a number of Afghans, including a deputy governor and a top aide, were wounded in a bomb blast in the southern city of Kandahar. The bomb had apparently been hidden in a box of fruit. |
| The Thursday night attack on the Serena Hotel came hours after a brazen raid by a group of Taliban militants killed 10 officers in a police station in eastern Afghanistan. | The Thursday night attack on the Serena Hotel came hours after a brazen raid by a group of Taliban militants killed 10 officers in a police station in eastern Afghanistan. |
| With Karzai preparing to step down at the end of his second and final term, the upcoming presidential vote is seen as a key point in Afghan history because it could result in the country’s first peaceful transition of power. | With Karzai preparing to step down at the end of his second and final term, the upcoming presidential vote is seen as a key point in Afghan history because it could result in the country’s first peaceful transition of power. |
| In a separate development, Afghan authorities on Thursday released from prison 77 suspected Taliban fighters captured by Western forces. The freeing of the prisoners came a month after the release of 65 inmates from a detention center next to the U.S. military’s Bagram air base. That release drew stern criticism from the United States and NATO, which considered the detainees dangerous. | In a separate development, Afghan authorities on Thursday released from prison 77 suspected Taliban fighters captured by Western forces. The freeing of the prisoners came a month after the release of 65 inmates from a detention center next to the U.S. military’s Bagram air base. That release drew stern criticism from the United States and NATO, which considered the detainees dangerous. |
| NATO and the U.S. military had no comment on the latest release. | NATO and the U.S. military had no comment on the latest release. |