Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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January 14, 2008

Suicide Attackers Target Luxury Hotel in Afghan Capital
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1AE9E5A:A6F02AD83191E16028783958AC5CFD2A2E7CA1C1B166B639& Witnesses say
attackers threw grenades at the heavily secured entrance to the
five-star Serena Hotel and then set off their explosive vests





Afghan policemen stand guard at the site of a blast at the Serena
Hotel in Kabul, 14 Jan 2008A suicide bombing at a luxury hotel in the
Afghan capital, Kabul, has killed at least one guard.

Witnesses say attackers threw grenades at the heavily secured entrance
to the five-star Serena Hotel and then set off their explosive vests.

A Taliban spokesman told news agencies that four militants armed with
suicide vests, grenades and guns were involved in the attack.

Norwegian media say officials from the country were at the hotel -
which is popular with foreigners - at the time of the blast.

Militant attacks in Afghanistan usually take place in the restive
southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar, where Taliban insurgents
are active. But there have been an increasing number of attacks in the
capital over the past year.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters.


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