AFP journalist, his wife and two children killed in Kabul attack

Sardar Ahmad

A staff reporter for the Agence France-Presse news agency, his wife and two of his three children were among nine civilians killed in an attack on a hotel in the Afghan capital, the news agency said Friday.

The incident began when four teenagers entered the Serena Hotel in central Kabul on Thursday and started shooting randomly, according to police.

AFP said journalist Sardar Ahmad started working for the news agency in 2003 and went on to become its senior reporter in Kabul, "covering all aspects of life, war and politics in his native country" and specializing in security issues. He also founded the Kabul Pressistan private news agency, AFP said.