Foreigners In Afghanistan Now Key Targets For Taleban’s Suicide Bombers

A young Pakistan-based warlord with links to al-Qaeda was blamed yesterday for a suicide assault on a luxury Kabul hotel, as the Taleban threatened a new wave of attacks against foreign civilians.

At least one suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest as gunmen stormed into the Kabul Serena hotel, shooting guests and employees in an attack that appeared to mark a ruthless development in the tactics of the Taleban.

Two more victims died yesterday, bringing the total killed to eight, including a Filipina spa supervisor who was shot along with three guests in the hotel gym. A Norwegian journalist, three Americans and a French woman were also reported killed, as well as an Afghan woman employee, although there were conflicting reports of casualty numbers. Several more people were wounded.

Aid workers and diplomats are concerned at the prospect of a terror campaign directed against foreign civilians, who since 2001 have largely been spared the attacks. The suicide bombing has highlighted the problem of how to protect thousands of foreigners working on aid and reconstruction projects in Kabul, where there is no Baghdad-style protected “green zone”.

Foreigners live in houses throughout the city and visit restaurants where security is often minimal. The Kabul Serena had been considered one of the most secure and heavily protected buildings in the capital.

A Taleban spokesman issued an explicit threat against foreigners for the first time. Zabihullah Mujahed said: “We will carry out a wave of attacks on restaurants, guest houses and other places frequented by foreigners. They are not safe any more.”

Amrullah Saleh, the head of the Afghanistan intelligence service, blamed Sirajuddin Haqqani, the son of a warlord based in Pakistans tribal areas, for the attack. Afghan security sources said that several people involved in organising the assault were captured, including one suspect accused of supplying suicide vests and weapons who was seized trying to escape into Pakistan.

Afghan security forces said that they had found a video in which a suicide bomber called Farouq left his last testament. On the video he was filmed saying: “Im ready to carry out a suicide attack.”

Sirajuddin Haqqanis father, Jalaluddin,was a CIA ally and legendary figure in the fight against the Russians before becoming a supporter of Osama bin Laden. In recent years the Haqqani network has been blamed by US soldiers for the deaths of numerous comrades.

The US military has put a bounty of $200,000 (£100,000) on the head of Sirajuddin. One of his associates, Mullah Abdullah, was accused by Mr Saleh of being the mastermind behind the attack.

Sirajuddin has emerged as a leading figure among a new generation of Taleban who appear to have taken lessons from the Iraqi insurgency, possibly under the tutelage of al-Qaeda. In December Lieutenant-Colonel Dave Anders, a US military officer, said: “His allegiance is not with his tribe or with Afghans but with Arabs and al-Qaeda.” In recent years the influence of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan has appeared limited, except for a few areas along the Pakistan border.

Making a well-planned assault on the hotel as the visiting Norwegian Foreign Minister was about to host a dinner required a much higher level of professionalism than the Taleban is normally capable of. The Australian Embassy announced that it was moving from its base inside the hotel, which has pledged to tighten security.

Western organisations in Kabul were reviewing their security yesterday, although a terrorist “spectacular” had been expected for several weeks.

The Taleban Voice of Jihad website claimed that a “Martyrdom Operation” had been carried out. It said: “The hotel was opened for high-level functions of the Western-backed puppet Government.”

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