Suicide bomber hits foreign restaurant killing 14 people in Afghanistan

At least fourteen people were killed and many others were severely injured as a suicide bomber hits a Lebanese restaurant in Kabul capital city of Afghanistan on Friday night, said officials. According to Kabul police chief, Zaher Zaher, at least fourteen people including foreigners and Afghans were killed and five others were injured in an attack on the Lebanese restaurant. The officials have not confirmed the nationalities of the foreigners yet. The police officials told that a suicide bomber detonated his explosives near a restaurant frequented by foreigners in the Wazir Akbar Khan diplomatic enclave in downtown Kabul late on Friday. A huge blast was followed by sporadic gunfire that lasted 20 minutes, said police. Kabul police spokesman Hashmat Stanikzai confirmed that it was a suicide attack. The security officials cordoned off the area and injured were shifted to the nearby hospital. Deputy Interior Minister Ayub Salangi told reporters that a suicide bomber blew himself up in front of the restaurant and denied if any gun-battle had taken place. A number of foreigners were believed to be present at the Lebanese hotel at the time of the attack. According to local media reports, Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi, asserting responsibility for the suicide blast, claimed a large number of foreigners were killed and wounded.