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KABUL: A luxury hotel, the Intercontinental Hotel, in the downtown of Afghan capital city Kabul was attacked from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning, leaving at least seven civilians and six attackers killed.
Kabul Deputy Police Chief Daud Amin told China's Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday, June 29, that eight others including two policemen were injured in the Taliban militants attack.
The dreadful attack, according to an eye witness who declined to be identified, started at around 10pm local time on Tuesday (1730 GMT) when some armed men targeted the Intercontinental Hotel with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades.
According to witnesses, at least two rockets fired by the attackers slammed to the hotel compound in addition to gun shots.
Xinhua reporters reported that exchange of fires between the attackers and police lasted for hours till Wednesday morning.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman speaking to media by telephone from an undisclosed location, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying some Taliban fighters equipped with suicide vests and light arms stormed the Intercontinental Hotel and inflicted casualties to foreigners and Afghans there.
The Intercontinental Hotel is one of the fortified accommodations in Kabul frequented by foreigners and Afghan officials.
Officials estimated that there were 60 to 70 guests staying at the hotel, which sits on a hill overlooking the capital.
Minister Bismillah Mohammadi, when interviewed by Xinhua, denied any casualties of any provincial governors or other high-rank Afghan officials in the attack.
The attack comes weeks before foreign forces are expected to start withdrawals from the country.
Last week, US President Barack Obama announced last week a plan to withdraw some 10,000 US troops from Afghanistan this year and an additional 23,000 by the end of September 2012. — Bernama
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