KABUL,
Afghanistan — The Taliban attack on a Kabul guesthouse left 14 people
dead, including nine foreigners, in the most audacious assault by the
insurgents in the Afghan capital since the start of their spring
offensive, a government official confirmed Thursday.
Among
the nine foreigners killed in Wednesday's attack, seven were men and
two were women, according to the official, who spoke on condition of
anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media. The full
breakdown of the nationalities was not immediately known but an American
and four Indians have been confirmed dead.
Gunmen
stormed the restaurant of the Park Palace Hotel in the Afghan capital
as it was hosting a party for foreigners on Wednesday evening, and
authorities said the victims were killed during an hours-long siege that
ended early Thursday morning. At least 54 hostages were rescued,
according to Afghan officials.
Five Afghans were also among the dead — four men and one woman — and seven were wounded, including one Afghan policeman.
The U.N. mission in Afghanistan condemned the assault, saying in a statement Thursday that it was an "atrocity."
"Taliban
statements on avoiding civilian casualties ring hollow when we set them
against the latest killings," said UNAMA's human rights director
Georgette Gagnon.
The
Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. The group's spokesman
Zabihullah Mujahid said in an email distributed to media that the hotel
was targeted because of the presence of foreigners, including Americans
there. In the claim, he said only one attacker was involved, armed with a
Kalashnikov rifle, a suicide vest and a pistol — not three as the
Afghan government reported. The Taliban often exaggerate their claims.
The
Afghan police kept the hotel cordoned off on Thursday. Earlier, they
said all the attackers were killed in the shootout with security troops.
The
attack began around 8:30 p.m. local time when the gunmen opened fire at
the hotel restaurant, according to Kabul police chief Gen. Abdul Rahman
Rahimi.
U.S.
Embassy spokeswoman Monica Cummings said in an email statement that a
U.S. citizen was killed in the attack, although she had no further
details and did not identify the victim.
Cummings
said the U.S. Embassy was in close contact with Afghan authorities and
was working to obtain more information. "Our thoughts are with the
families of the victims," she said.
India's
Ambassador Amar Sinha confirmed Thursday that four Indian nationals
were also among the dead - three men and a woman. He said they were
among a total of 11 Indians resident at the guesthouse, none of whom are
embassy personnel.
The guesthouse had about 100 residents, he said.
Throughout
the standoff, sporadic gunfire echoed around the guesthouse in a
central neighborhood that is home to United Nations compounds and a
foreign-run hospital. At one point, two explosions could be heard and
four ambulances later arrived to the scene.
Amin
Habib, a U.S. citizen from Los Angeles, told the AP that a party was
going on at the hotel to honor a Canadian when the gunmen stormed the
guesthouse. He said dozens of people, including foreigners and U.S.
citizens, were inside the hotel at the time.
Also
earlier, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Twitter account said he
was "concerned about the situation (and) I pray for everyone's safety."
Canada's
Foreign Affairs Spokeswoman Caitlin Workman said all staff at the
Canadian Embassy in Kabul were "safe and accounted for."
Hours
after the standoff began, fire trucks arrived at the scene, with
firefighters saying they were called in to clear and secure the area. A
number of people were seen leaving the building. Police initially freed
some 20 people trapped in the guesthouse, but others had remained
inside, according to Zia Massoud, an Afghan government official.
The
hotel has both guest rooms for visitors and a residential area for
those who live full time in Kabul, including foreign aid workers.
Afghan
security forces have been struggling to fend off Taliban attacks since
U.S. and NATO forces formally concluded their combat mission at the end
of last year.
The
Taliban have staged similar attacks in the past on Kabul hotels and
guesthouses — typically extremely well-guarded locations with
foreigners.
In
March 2014, the Taliban stormed the Serena Hotel where guests had
gathered at the restaurant for a buffet dinner to celebrate the Persian
New Year. Nine people in all were shot at close range and killed in the
attack, which was particularly shocking because the luxury hotel was
long considered one of the safest places in Kabul to stay. The dead
included four foreigners, an Afghan businessman and an Afghan
journalist, his wife and two of his three children.
And
in January 2014, the Taliban attacked a popular Lebanese restaurant in
Kabul, killing 21 people, making it the deadliest single attack against
foreign civilians in the course of a nearly 13-year U.S.-led war there.
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