Afghan Rebel Rockets Kill 3 at Kabul Hotel

KABUL, Afghanistan — Rockets apparently fired by U.S.-backed guerrillas slammed into the grounds of Kabul’s leading hotel Wednesday, killing three employees, hotel managers said.

They said a front office manager, a driver and a security guard were killed by a rocket that exploded about 50 yards from the main entrance of the Inter-Continental Hotel at about 10 a.m. The three men had walked out of the building to examine damage from three other shells that had hit the hotel grounds moments earlier.

The guerrillas have staged frequent rocket attacks against Kabul since last year that have killed more than 1,500 people, according to government figures, and cost the rebels goodwill among the civilian population.