A Calgary woman was among the nine people killed in a brazen attack at a hotel restaurant in Afghanistan and foreign affairs is working to bring her body home.
Zeenab Kassam, 57, of Calgary was one of two Canadians killed in the terrorist attack at The Kabul Serena Hotel on Thursday evening.
The other woman has been identified as Roshan Thomas, an optometrist from Vancouver.
Reports say four gunmen entered a restaurant at the hotel, pulled out pistols and began shooting diners in the head. The restaurant was packed with people celebrating the Persian New Year.
In all, nine people died, including the two Canadians and Afghan journalist, Sardar Ahmad, and his wife and two children.
Karim-Aly Kassam, Zeenab's brother, says she was a nurse who was volunteering in the country as an English teacher.
He says she went to Viscount Bennett High School in Calgary and studied nursing at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton.
Kassam says his sister has been in Afghanistan for the past 18 months working with young people and was on her way home to see her brother and mother.
He says her body has not yet been released and is in the care of the Afghan military.
Kassam says the family does not have any ill will and just wants to bring her home.
“We have nothing against the Afghan people. There’s just a small minority of people who have weapons that are violent that are causing violence and they cannot be allowed to succeed by intimidating good work,” said Karim-Aly Kassam.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has condemned the attack as “brazen and cowardly.”
A statement by Foreign Affairs said Canadian diplomats in Kabul are working with Afghan officials to gather additional information.
Minister John Baird issued a statement on Friday saying...
"On behalf of all Canadians, we extend our sincerest condolences to the families and friends of those who were killed and injured. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of two Canadian citizens who were killed in this attack.
"Many of these people dedicated their lives to helping everyday Afghans build a better country for themselves, including education, and enhancing the role of women and girls in Afghan society. For this selfless work to be met with violence, especially on the occasion of Nowruz, just further proves the depravity of the Taliban and those who support them.
"Acts of terror must not go unpunished, and those who perpetrated and supported this violence must be held accountable.
The gunmen died in a shootout with Afghan special forces after a three-hour standoff.
The luxury hotel in Kabul is seen as one of the best-protected sites for civilians in the capital and entrants must pass through a metal detector and bags are put through an X-ray machine.
The shooting spree was just the latest in a series of high-profile attacks by the Taliban and allied militants as they step up a campaign of violence, vowing to disrupt the April 5 national elections.
(With files from ctvnews.ca and vancouver.ctvnews.ca)
