Taliban gaining strength in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- A recent attack on the Serena hotel in Kabul shows the Taliban threat in Afghanistan is far from over six years after the regime was driven out, a report said.

The daring Jan. 14 attack on the famous hotel, one of the best-protected facilities in the Afghan capital, was one of the most dramatic of violent incidents showing the Taliban may be gaining strength in the country, USA Today said.

Westerners in Kabul are no longer seen at bazaars because of security concerns, the newspaper said. One rug salesman said he finds himself shooing beggars away fearing they might be wearing suicide vests.

Despite the presence of 50,000 U.S. and NATO troops, the Islamic militants have regained control of rural areas in the past year. The Serena Hotel attack raises concerns whether any place in the country is safe, USA Today said.

NATO Commander Gen. Dan McNeill said the Taliban is on the run and that militants failed to conduct a major offensive last spring. He said 70 percent of the insurgency is occurring in only 10 percent of the country.