Carsten Thomassen, 39, the correspondent for the Norwegian paper Dagbladet, was among seven people killed as Taliban “militants” (the AP’s word) stormed Kabul’s leading hotel.

The Taliban attacked the luxury five-star Serena hotel with guns, grenades, and a suicide bomb, after forcing their way through a heavily fortified gate by lobbing grenades at the guards.

It was the first attack on a Kabul hotel since the fall of the Taliban in late 2001. Until recently suicide bombers in the country mostly hit military targets, although many civilians also died in the blasts.

The Serena is patronized by diplomats, journalists, and dignitaries. When it opened in 2006, the hotel was hailed “an oasis of luxury in a war-ravaged city.”

Taliban violence greatly increased last year, with 140 recorded suicide attacks in 2007.