Two Lebanese among Victims of Suicide Attack on Kabul Restaurant

Two Lebanese nationals were among the victims of Friday's deadly suicide attack that targeted a popular restaurant in Afghanistan's Kabul, Agence France Presse reported on Saturday.

“The representative of the International Monetary Fund in Afghanistan, Lebanese national Khanjar Wabel Abdullah, and the restaurant's owner Kamel Hamadeh were killed in the explosion,” the pan-Arab Al-Arabiya news channel said.

"Hamadeh hails from the town of Baaqline in the Shouf region and he was preparing to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the restaurant," al-Arabiya said.

He reportedly died after he tried to fire back at the attackers, AFP said.

Meanwhile, according to Al-Arabiya, 60-years old Abdullah has been the representative of the IMF in Afghanistan since 2008, and he hails from the southern village of Khyam.

Afghanistan's police said a total of 21 people, including 13 foreigners, died in the Taliban suicide assault on the restaurant in central Kabul.

Desperate customers tried to hide under tables as one attacker detonated his suicide vest at the fortified entrance to the Taverna du Liban and two other militants stormed inside and opened fire.

Among the dead, and in addition to Abdullah and Hamadeh, were two Americans, two British citizens, two Canadians, a Danish member of the European police mission in Afghanistan and a Russian United Nations political officer.

"The U.N, said four of its staff had died, though it did not release their nationalities," AFP noted.

The restaurant is located near Kabul's Heetal Plaza Hotel that was owned by former President Burhanuddin Rabbani.

The Washington Post newspaper noted that the Taverna du Liban has been a target of several attacks in the past.

"Since 2011, Hamadeh erected security checks at the entrance of the restaurant and replaced its door with one made of steal to protect visitors, especially embassies' employees who became its regular customers," the Washington Post remarked.

The AFP said the Taverna has been a regular dining spot for foreign diplomats, aid workers and Afghan officials and businessmen, and was busy with customers on Friday, the weekly holiday in Afghanistan.

"Like many restaurants in Kabul it ran strict security checks, with diners patted down by armed guards and passing through at least two steel doors before gaining entry," it pointed out.

On Saturday morning, the Taverna's battered sign was still in place, hanging over the ruined remains of the entrance door. Several badly damaged cars also remained at the scene.

"Our latest figure is 21 killed, including 13 foreigners and eight Afghans," Kabul police chief Mohammad Zahir told AFP.

"Five women were among the dead and about five people were injured."

Afghan President Hamid Karzai condemned the attack and called on U.S.-led NATO forces fighting in Afghanistan "to target terrorism" in the country.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also denounced the killings, which his spokesman said were "completely unacceptable and are in flagrant breach of international humanitarian law".

The assault was claimed by Taliban militants fighting against the Afghan government and NATO forces.

A Taliban spokesman said the attack was to avenge a U.S. airstrike in Parwan province on Tuesday night that Karzai said killed seven children and one woman.

"These invading forces launched a brutal bombardment on civilians... and they have martyred and wounded 30 civilians. This was a revenge attack and we did it well, and we will continue to do so," Zabihullah Mujahid said.

Mujahid said the Taverna du Liban restaurant was "frequented by high ranking foreigners (who) used to dine with booze and liquor".

After the blast, elite security commandos rushed to seal off the small streets around the restaurant as sporadic gunfire erupted. All three attackers died in the attack.