The restaurant in Kabul's Wazir Akbar Khan area is popular with foreign nationals, diplomats and aid workers
A
number of Afghan officials have been suspended as an investigation is
carried out into a suicide bomb and gun attack in Kabul that killed 21
people.
The Taliban has admitted targeting a Lebanese restaurant, leaving 13 foreigners and eight Afghans dead.
Among the victims were a local IMF head and Canadian, American, UK, Lebanese, Russian and Danish citizens.
The Afghan interior minister has warned security officials in the capital that negligence will not be tolerated.
Mohammad Omar Daudzai told Afghan TV that the
head of the precinct in which the attack took place, and two other
officials had been suspended. "They will be investigated as part of a
probe into the incident that took place last night."
A suicide attacker detonated his explosives outside the gate
of the heavily fortified Taverna du Liban, Deputy Interior Minister
Mohammad Ayoub Salangi said.
Two gunmen then entered the restaurant and started "indiscriminately killing" people inside, he added.
Wabel Abdallah, the 60-year-old Lebanese head of the
International Monetary Fund's Afghanistan office, was killed, along with
the restaurant's popular Lebanese owner, Kamal Hamade.
His restaurant, in Kabul's Wazir Akbar Khan area, had come
under attack before and was considered a favourite destination for
foreign nationals, diplomats and aid workers.
A Taliban statement indicated the restaurant had been
targeted because it was frequented by high-ranking foreigners and served
alcohol.
Ari Gaitanis UN Spokesman: "It is a very heavy day here for us"
Mr Hamade had deployed a number of measures to keep pace with security requirements from foreign and Afghan organisations, the BBC's Lyse Doucet reports. Among the other victims were
- Three UN civilian staff from Russia, the US and Pakistan
- The Russian national was said to have been working on kick-starting peace talks with the Taliban
- Two Britons: Labour Party candidate for the European Parliament elections Del Singh and Simon Chase, reportedly serving with the EU police mission, Eupol
- A Danish woman also serving with Eupol
- Two Canadians - it was unclear who they were working for
- At least one other American, according to the US embassy
- 13 Afghan nationals
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned "in the strongest terms the horrific attack", his spokesman said.
IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said: "Our hearts go
out to Wabel [Abdallah's] family and friends, as well as the other
victims of this attack".
Security forces flooded the area soon after the attack
The restaurant, in the heart of Kabul's embassy district, was popular with diplomats and foreign workers.
The explosion wrecked the restaurant and destroyed nearby vehicles.
"I was sitting with my friends in the kitchen when an explosion
happened and smoke filled the kitchen," Abdul Majid, a chef at the
restaurant, told AFP news agency.
"A man came inside shouting and he started shooting. One of
my colleagues was shot and fell down. I ran to the roof and threw myself
to the neighbouring property."
The attackers were eventually shot dead by the security forces when they arrived at the scene.
The BBC's Mahfouz Zubaide heard the blast and gunfire from at
least two kilometres away. He said the gunfire went on sporadically for
about 10 minutes.
Security continues to be a major concern in Afghanistan. The
last remaining contingent of Nato-led forces is due to leave by the end
of the year, having handed over security to Afghan forces.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai also condemned the attack,
saying in a statement that if US-led Nato forces wanted to be united
with the Afghan people "they have to target terrorism".
Washington is pushing Mr Karzai to sign an agreement which
would allow some US troops to stay behind after this year's withdrawal.
The Taliban told the BBC's John Simpson earlier this week
that they were now back in control of large areas of Afghanistan and
were confident of returning to power after Western troops left.
Our correspondent says it is hard to believe the Taliban
could make a comeback as things stand, but their takeover of Kabul in
1996 was unexpected, and they could be strengthened if a weak, corrupt
president is elected in April.
