Death toll rises to 21 in Taliban attack on Kabul restaurant

The International Monetary Fund’s representative in Afghanistan and three UN officials were among the 21 people killed in a Taliban attack in the most exclusive and well guarded part of Kabul Friday night. First a suicide bomber blew himself up outside a Lebanese restaurant popular with foreigners, then two gunmen rained fire on the busy dining room until they were shot dead by security guards. Of the 21 people killed, 13 were foreigners, including two Canadians, and eight Afghans. Five of the victims were women, including four expatriates. Taliban claimed the attack was to avenge the killing of a group of civilians in a US air raid earlier this week.