DHAKA: An attack on a restaurant in Kabul apparently carried out by the Afghan Taliban has killed at least 16 people, including four UN employees and the International Monetary Fund`s resident representative.

The assailants targeted Taverna du Liban, a Lebanese restaurant popular with expatriates and diplomats, in a neighbourhood of Kabul where many embassy buildings and offices of non-governmental organisations are located.

Ban Ki-moon, UN secretary-general, strongly condemned Friday`s attack through his spokesman, who said: "Such targeted attacks against civilians are completely unacceptable and are in flagrant breach of international humanitarian law."

Christine Lagarde, the IMF chief, said Wabel Abdallah, 60, the fund`s resident representative in Afghanistan since June 2008, was among those killed in the attack.

Abdallah, a Lebanese national, joined the IMF from the Central Bank of Lebanon in 1993 and had held various IMF positions, especially in the Middle East.

UK`s Foreign Office confirmed late on Friday that a British national was among the dead while Canada admitted two citizens` deaths in what its foreign minister called "a cowardly terrorist attack".

Zabiullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesman, claimed responsibility for the attack, which he said targeted foreign officials dining at what he described as a "hotel".

Mujahid said the targets of the attack included "high-ranking German officials". German Foreign Ministry officials in Berlin said they could not confirm that German nationals were among the casualties.

Source: aljazeera.com
BDST: 0955 HRS, JAN 18, 2014
MR/RS