'No Indian among those killed in Kabul Taliban attack'

No Indian is among the fatalities in a Taliban attack on a Kabul hotel, the Indian external affairs ministry said Friday.

"No Indian has been killed. We have confirmed this," a ministry official told IANS.Earlier, reports had said that an Indian was among the nine people killed in a deadly Taliban attack on the popular Serena Hotel.

Two women from Canada and New Zealand were among the nine foreigners killed in the attack.Four of the attackers were also killed.

"Nine people were killed in last night's (Thursday) Taliban attack on the Serena Hotel, besides four gunmen," said an Afghan security source.

Earlier reports said that three people were injured in the firing.Six people were seriously wounded in the attack before the attackers were gunned down.

The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack.The incident occurred at around 9 p.m.

Thursday after four people who hid pistols in their socks pretended that they had come for dinner in the restaurant of the hotel, which is located near the presidential palace, interior ministry spokesman Seddiq Seddiqi told reporters near the site around  midnight.

The assailants indiscriminately fired at the people who were dining in the five-star hotel, the source said.This is the second attack against restaurants frequented by foreigners in Kabul this year.

On Jan 17, 21 people, including 13 foreigners, were killed after a suicide bombing and shooting in a Lebanese restaurant.