Taliban gunmen kill 9 at Kabul hotel, including 2 childre

Four teenage Taliban gunmen shot dead nine people, including two children, in the restaurant of Kabul's luxury SerenaHotel, officials said Friday, dpa reported.Among the dead in Thursday's attack were an Afghan journalist for theFrench news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP), his wife and two ofhis three children. Their third child, a toddler, is in criticalcondition.The gunmen entered the heavily fortified hotel as guests, hidingpistols in their socks and the soles of their shoes, officials said.All four assailants were gunned down by security forces.Officials said the assailants had hidden in the toilet, where two ofthem were killed.The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying theytargeted alcoholic Afghan officials celebrating Nowruz, the PersianNew Year. However, Serena follows the Islamic laws of the country anddoes not serve alcoholic beverages.The hotel has multiple layers of security with dozens of guards andcheckpoints. It is considered one of the safest places to stay inKabul.