KABUL, October 28 (RIA Novosti) - Afghan President Hamid Karzai issued an order on Wednesday to strengthen security around all international institutions following a militant attack on a UN hostel in Kabul.
Gunmen with automatic weapons and suicide vests stormed a guest house used by United Nations staff in the heart of the Afghan capital at around 6:00 a.m. local time, killing at least 12 people, including six UN staff.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was the first step toward disrupting the second round of presidential elections scheduled for November 7.
Karzai condemned the act, which involved at least seven terrorists, according to one of the special police officers who took part in the operation to free the hostel after it was seized by the armed group.
Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman Zmarai Bashari said three attackers were shot dead. A suicide bomber reportedly blew himself up.
Another hotel, the Kabul Serena Hotel near the presidential palace, came under rocket attack on Wednesday. No casualties were reported.
Violence has surged in Afghanistan, with the radical Islamic Taliban group, toppled in the 2001 U.S.-led campaign, staging regular attacks on provincial government officials, police and troops. There were over 70 attacks across the country during the August 20 presidential polls.
Last week, Afghan President Hamid Karzai gave in to international pressure and agreed to take part in the runoff against his nearest rival, former foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, accepting the conclusion of the UN-backed Electoral Complaints Commission that the election was the subject of wide-scale fraud.
The investigation determined that no candidate had received over 50% of the vote, the threshold for automatic victory. Official results gave Karzai 54.6% of the vote in the first round.
