Taliban attacks five star hotel in Kabul Afghanistan

SunMonday 14th January, 2008

The Serena Hotel, Afghanistan's only five star hotel, has been the target of an attack by the Taliban.Ten people are dead, including two of 4 attackers, one of whom blew himself up, and the other who was shot by security police.A Swedish reporter, Carsten Thomassen, 39, of the Oslo newspaper, Dagbladet, died in the attack. Norwegian media say officials from Norway, including the country's foreign minister, Jonas Gah Store, were at the hotel at the time of the blast. There is some speculation the foreign minister was the target of the attack.Norway has 500 peacekeepers in Afghanistan with NATO.The Serena Hotel, in the capital, Kabul, is frequented by foreigners, particularly diplomats. It also houses the Australian embassy.U.S. troops were quickly on the scene securing the premises.Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said four suicide attackers entered the hotel, and one was able to detonate explosives. The three other militants shot at people in the hotel before escaping, he said. An Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman and foreign officials confirmed that one U.S. citizen, a Philippine employee at the hotel, as well as the Norwegian journalist were among the dead, along with several hotel security guards.Officials say the attackers wore suicide vests and police uniforms. They were also armed with grenades and rifles.Militant attacks in Afghanistan usually take place in the restive southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar, where Taliban insurgents are active. But there has been an increasing number of attacks in the capital over the past year.

Taliban attacks five star hotel in Kabul Afghanistan SunMonday 14th January, 2008
The Serena Hotel, Afghanistan's only five star hotel, has been the target of an attack by the Taliban.Ten people are dead, including two of 4 attackers, one of whom blew himself up, and the other who was shot by security police.A Swedish reporter, Carsten Thomassen, 39, of the Oslo newspaper, Dagbladet, died in the attack. Norwegian media say officials from Norway, including the country's foreign minister, Jonas Gah Store, were at the hotel at the time of the blast. There is some speculation the foreign minister was the target of the attack.Norway has 500 peacekeepers in Afghanistan with NATO.The Serena Hotel, in the capital, Kabul, is frequented by foreigners, particularly diplomats. It also houses the Australian embassy.U.S. troops were quickly on the scene securing the premises.Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said four suicide attackers entered the hotel, and one was able to detonate explosives. The three other militants shot at people in the hotel before escaping, he said. An Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman and foreign officials confirmed that one U.S. citizen, a Philippine employee at the hotel, as well as the Norwegian journalist were among the dead, along with several hotel security guards.Officials say the attackers wore suicide vests and police uniforms. They were also armed with grenades and rifles.Militant attacks in Afghanistan usually take place in the restive southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar, where Taliban insurgents are active. But there has been an increasing number of attacks in the capital over the past year.

http://story.afghanistansun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/6e1d5c8e1f98f17c/id/318077/cs/1/