Indian among nine killed in Kabul hotel attack

Kabul, March 21 :

An Indian was among the nine people killed in a deadly Taliban attack in a popular hotel in Kabul, sources said Friday. Four of the attackers were also killed.

Two women from Canada and New Zealand and two men from India and Pakistan were among four foreigners killed in the attack on the Serena Hotel, Xinhua reported.

“Nine people were killed in last night’s (Thursday) Taliban attack on the Serena Hotel, besides four gunmen,” an Afghan security source said.

Earlier reports suggested three people were injured in the firing.

Six people were seriously wounded in the attack before the attackers were gunned down.

The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack.

The incident occurred at around 9 p.m. Thursday after four people who hid pistols in their socks pretended that they had come for dinner in the restaurant of the hotel, which is located near the presidential palace, interior ministry spokesman Seddiq Seddiqi told reporters near the site around midnight.

The assailants indiscriminately fired at the people who were dining in the five-star hotel, the source said.

This is the second attack against restaurants frequented by foreigners in Kabul this year. On Jan 17, 21 people, including 13 foreigners, were killed after a suicide bombing and shooting in a Lebanese restaurant.

(IANS)