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Brazenly walking into the Serena hotel in Kabul. Taliban gunmen. Their guns out of sight.
They're body searched, but nothing. They're seen walking through a metal detector at the
entrance, but again nothing. It's thought the pistols could have been hidden in their
socks. The men are then seen walking through the lobby towards the restaurant, where the
attack starts. Nine people died in the assaults. Three young children were found with bullets
in their heads, and a gunfight with security forces that lasted hours. This is considered
one of the safest places in Kabul. Frequented by foreigners and Afghan officials, despite
some previous attacks. Heavily fortified, but now that security is under review. The
attack has led to two major foreign election observer teams pulled out of Afghanistan.
A blow to confidence in the upcoming election - two weeks away, which would mark the country's
first democratic transfer of power.