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KABUL: The siege of a major hotel in the Afghan capital ended Sunday, more than 16 hours after a group of gunmen stormed it overnight, sparking a protracted battle that left at least 30 people dead, including 14 foreigners, officials said.
The Taliban guerrillas who lead the insurgency asserted responsibility for the attack, saying their targets were American and nationals of those countries that help the US military in Afghanistan.
Advised by foreign troops, Afghan security forces rescued scores of people, including 41 foreigners who were trapped in the attack at the heavily fortified Intercontinental Hotel, perched on a hill far away from military installations and government offices.
The identity of the foreigners killed was not immediately clear, and nor was that of the 41 rescued. Some East Europeans, working for a national airline, were believed to among them.
The other five who died were Afghan civilians, the interior ministry said. One of them was head of the communication department for a province while another worked in the peace council.
The presence of scores of people, many held hostage by the assailants, made the clearing operation difficult, officials said.
Part of the hotel was on fire, possibly because of blasts as well as the explosion of gas balloons used to keep the rooms of the sprawling hotel warm, residents said.
Several panic-stricken Afghans staying at the hotel threw themselves from balconies because of the fire and fear of being killed by the attackers, who included three armed men, officials said.
It was initially reported that the hotel hosted a wedding ceremony and a group of Afghan provincial civil servants who had gathered for a conference. But officials have yet to confirm reports of the wedding ceremony.
The Taliban said five of its fighters, including suicide bombers, were involved in the brazen strike.
Javed Faisal, a spokesman for the Afghan government, however, said the attack was the work of the “Pakistan-based” Haqqani group, which is part of the Taliban movement.
The main entry route to the hotel is heavily guarded with several checkpoints and authorities believe the assailants made their way in from the back of the hotel.
Unconfirmed reports said the assailants wore military uniforms and got out of an armored vehicle, shooting a guard dead before storming the hotel.
Anxious family members of those trapped inside rushed outside the hotel to find out about their fate, having failed to reach them by phone. Some spent hours in outside in severe cold.
“My son is there and I have not been able to reach him by phone. God knows what has happened to him,” said Assadullah, a 54-year-old man, told Arab News.
The hotel was the scene of a similar attack in 2011 when a group of Afghans, including foreigners, were killed. The Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for that attack.
The latest attack comes amid increasing strikes by the Taliban and affiliates of Daesh in parts of Afghanistan in recent months.
Overnight, Taliban militants killed 17 pro-government militias in an area of northern Balkh province, while in western Farah the province’s deputy police chief lost his life in a separate militant-linked attack, according to local officials and the Taliban.