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Briton recovers after Kabul shoot-out
This story is getting stranger all the time.A British man is recovering in hospital after a shoot-out in a hotel in Kabul which left two Afghans dead. Colin Berry, 37, from Essex, suffered a gunshot wound during the incident at the Intercontinental Hotel on Bagh-e-Bala Road on Tuesday. He was taken to a hospital in the Afghan capital where his condition was described on Thursday as satisfactory. A Foreign Office spokesman said Mr Berry was expected to remain in hospital for a few more days but said that his injuries were minor. Now the strange part. A German news agency quoted Kabul's security chief Mohammad Basir Salangi as saying four armed Americans entered the hotel room - containing two Afghans and two Britons - and opened fire. Anyone notice if they had New Jersey accents? The Foreign Office refused to confirm that story or confirm the presence of a second Briton in the incident. "What story? What Brit?" The spokesman said reports that Mr Berry had been arrested were unfounded and denied he was helping police with their inquiries. He was believed to have been working as a bodyguard. The Foreign Office spokesman said: "He was in Kabul on a private visit and there aren't any charges against him, he has not been arrested, he is not helping police and we are keeping in touch with the local authorities. He received a visit from our consular staff yesterday as is standard practice." Thanks, that helps a lot. The shoot-out was sparked by a "conflict of interest concerning a commercial dealing," according to an Afghan television report. Somebody tried to cut in on Tony Sopranos action. The report said only that an unidentified British man was detained and a police investigation was under way. "We'll get back to you." Posted by: Steve 2003-02-27 |
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