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Explosion at Kabul luxury hotel Taleban attack Kabul luxury hotel
(20 minutes later)
There has been a big explosion in the grounds of the five-star Serena hotel in the Afghan capital, Kabul. The Taleban say four of their fighters have attacked the luxury Serena hotel in the Afghan capital, Kabul, popular with foreign visitors.
One guest inside the hotel, which is popular with many foreign visitors, said that after the blast gunfire could be heard. One guest told the BBC that there was a huge explosion followed by gunfire. Guests were rushed to the cellar for their own safety.
One unconfirmed report said a suicide bomber was stopped close to the hotel building. There are no reports of casualties so far. Reports say at least one person was killed. The Taleban say one of their men managed to detonate a bomb.
Last month, Taleban insurgents carried out two suicide bombings in Kabul. Last month, the Taleban carried out at least two suicide attacks in the city.
'Escaped'
Taleban spokesman Zadihullah Mujahid told the BBC that the four Taleban attackers were armed with Kalashnikovs and grenades.
He said that one of the men managed to let off his explosives inside the hotel and the others escaped.
The attack on the hotel, which is heavily guarded, happened early in the evening.
The BBC has been told that the Norwegian ambassador to Afghanistan and a delegation from the Norwegian embassy were at the hotel at the time.
Many international workers are based at the Serena.
In December the Taleban carried out two suicide bombings in Kabul, killing 13 people in one attack.
Later in December, a rocket attack near the Kabul governor's residence killed five people.
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