2014 Kabul Serena Hotel attack

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2014 Kabul Serena Hotel attack
Part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
Serena Hotel in Kabul.jpg
Kabul Serena Hotel
Location Kabul, Afghanistan
Date20 March 2014 (2014-03-20)
20:30 – 23:30 (UTC+4:30)
TargetForeign election observers and journalists
Attack type
 Suicide attack Motive: unknown
Deaths9 [1]
Injured2
Perpetrators Flag of the Taliban.svg Taliban

On 20 March 2014, Taliban militants carried out a mass shooting in the restaurant of the Kabul Serena Hotel, in Kabul, Afghanistan. The shooting, which took place in a hotel popular with foreigners and wealthy Afghans, killed nine civilians, including five foreigners. The attack was a shock to many as it took place in a heavily fortified area of Kabul. [2]

Contents

Attack

Four teenage Taliban militants smuggled weapons in their shoes and socks and then hid in the hotel for several hours before commencing the attack. Armed with small handguns, the gunmen stormed the hotel's restaurant at around 8:30 pm – 9:00 pm, firing on guests as they dined and celebrated Nowruz, the Persian new year. Guests in the hotel barricaded themselves in their rooms and others fled. Nine people were killed, including Ahmad Sardar (a prominent Afghan journalist), Sardar's wife and two of their children, a Canadian, a New Zealander, two Bangladeshis, and a Paraguayan diplomat. [3] [4] Afghan security forces responded to the attack, sealing off the hotel and launching a hunt for the gunmen. One of the militants was killed by armed hotel staff while the other three hid in the hotel. The search for the gunmen lasted several hours and ended when Afghan commandos killed them. [5] [6] [7]

Victims

Deaths by nationality
CountryNumber
Flag of Afghanistan (2013-2021).svg Afghanistan4
Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand1
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada1
Flag of Bangladesh.svg Bangladesh2
Flag of Paraguay.svg Paraguay1
Total9

Notable victims:

Perpetrators

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. [9] The Afghan National Directorate of Security blamed Pakistani intelligence agencies for carrying out the attack, further adding that it was "unusual" that Pakistani nationals were not present in the hotel at the time of the attack. [10] However, it was reported that one Pakistani national was killed during the shooting [11] [12] although the Pakistani foreign office issued a statement saying the national was alive but in a coma as well as condemning the attack. [13]

Aftermath

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe withdrew their election observers in response to the attack; one victim was an observer working for the NDI. [14] The organizations had been observing the 2014 elections at the time, including the presidential election.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Afghan Official says 9 People, including 4 Foreigners, Killed in Attack on Kabul hotel (Reuters)". Bigstory.ap.org. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  2. ↑ "Nine killed in Kabul hotel attack". BBC News. 21 March 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  3. ↑ "AFP reporter, family among nine killed in Kabul hotel attack". NDTV.com. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  4. ↑ "Diplomático paraguayo fallece en un ataque de talibanes en hotel de Kabul" [Paraguayan diplomat dies in Taliban attack on Kabul hotel]. ABC Color (in Spanish). 20 March 2014. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  5. ↑ Rosenberg, Matthew; Ahmed, Azam (11 March 2014). "Illusion of Safety at Afghan Haven Is Shattered". The New York Times. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  6. ↑ Graham-Harrison, Emma (21 March 2014). "Taliban gunmen kill nine civilians in attack at Kabul's Serena hotel". the Guardian. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  7. ↑ "Nine dead in Kabul hotel attack". Al Jazeera America. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  8. ↑ "AFP reporter, family among nine killed in Kabul hotel attack". IANS. news.biharprabha.com. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  9. ↑ Mahr, Krista (21 March 2014). "Nine Dead in a Hotel Bloodbath: Welcome to Campaign Season in Kabul". Time. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  10. ↑ Ghanizada, Ahmad Shah (25 March 2014). "Pakistan's ISI plotted attack on Serena hotel in Kabul: NDS". The Khaama Press News Agency. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  11. ↑ Graham-Harrison, Emma (21 March 2014). "Taliban gunmen kill nine civilians in attack at Kabul's Serena hotel". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  12. ↑ "Nine killed in Kabul hotel attack". 21 March 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  13. ↑ "Serena Hotel: Pakistani injured, not killed, in Kabul attack". The Express Tribune. 22 March 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
  14. ↑ Donati, Jessica (23 March 2014). "Election observers pull foreign staff out of Afghanistan after hotel attack". Reuters. Retrieved 22 March 2021.

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