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Monday, January 14, 2008
Blast at Kabul Hotel Kills Six
14:00 EST - 14 Jan 2007
Blast at Kabul Hotel Kills Six
Published: January 15, 2008, NYT
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN: A thunderous explosion struck a 2-year-old Kabul
luxury hotel frequented by foreigners on Monday, and the Taliban took
responsibility, calling it a coordinated assault by four men armed with
guns and suicide belts.
The Interior Ministry said at least six people were killed and at least six were wounded in the explosion at the Serena Hotel, including two foreign officials it did not identify. It was not immediately clear if any of the dead included foreigners.
If the Taliban claim is confirmed it would be the first attack on the hotel and one of the most brazen assaults by the Taliban in the heavily protected heart of the Afghan capital.
Roads around the hotel were sealed off by the police, and it was impossible to see precisely where the explosion took place or view any damage.
The Serena Hotel, which was opened in 2006, is the only five-star hotel in Afghanistan and one that is popular among diplomats and is often used for conferences. The explosion, at around 6.15 p.m. local time, could be heard for up to two miles away across the city...
-- Source: NY Times, at: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/world/asia/15afghan.html
Edited on: Monday, January 14, 2008 13:31.13
Categories: Counter-Terrorism, Emergency Services, Military