Early dawn of Friday, three suicide bombers stormed Safi Land Mark, a four stars hotel in heart of Kabul –Shar-i-Now and another suicide bomber blew his car bomb in front of Aria Guest House in the same area, Kabul police said. “Many people were killed and wounded in the blasts” Sediq, a police officer in the area said: “but majority of the victims were Indians , because Indian doctors were living in the guest house and in the hotel”.

Afghan Ministry of Interior announced that 16 people including an Italian, a French film maker and three Afghan police were among the victims and according to police, the bodies of 11 victims are completely burned and it is not recognizable. The spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Interior, Zamry Bashiri said that 38 people, including 6 police officers, 8 foreigners and 24 Afghans were wounded in the incident.

“The first bomber blew himself up in front of Aria guest house at 6:30 a.m and than two other bombers stormed inside Park Resident and Safi Land Mark hotels”, said Sediq, the Afghan police. Reports confirmed that a senior police commander was also hurt in the incident and his two body guards were killed.

After the blasts, Afghan police and army cordoned off the area, cleared the buildings and evacuated the victims to the hospitals. The buildings were completely destroyed, class of nearby homes and shops were shattered. Most of the Indian doctors and embassy staff were living in Aria guest house and Park Resident guest house in the center of Kabul.

Indian embassy did not comment about the incident, but confirmed that staffs of Indian embassy were among the victims. At the same time Kabul police confirmed that Mr. Pietro Antonio Colazzo a diplomat of the Italian embassy was killed in the incident. A Taliban spokesman claimed the responsibility for the attack and there were eight bombers involved in the incident.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the “terrorist attack” on Kabul. In a press statement issued by President’s office, Karzai said: “such attacks could not break up the close ties between Afghanistan and India”. Though Afghan and India governments did not charge any specific group or country for the Kabul attack, but Afghan experts believe that ISI and some other extremists groups in Pakistan are standing behind this attack.

This attack takes place in a time that U.S. and Afghan troopers pounding Taliban strongholds in southern Helmand province. Recent reports indicate that U.S. troopers raise Afghan flag in Marjah area of Helmand province, but still there are sporadic firing between NATO troopers and Taliban in the area. Written by Rahim Aria

Article/Photo: Rahim Aria