Afghan hotel attack ends with three of the gunmen killed

Gunmen opened fire on Monday (12) inside a hotel in the center of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, popular with Chinese citizens. The attack ended when at least three gunmen were killed by security forces, the Taliban government said.

Two foreigners were injured as they tried to escape by jumping from the hotel balcony, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on Twitter.

The Kabul Emergency Hospital, run by an Italian non-profit organization, near the hotel attacked in the Shahr-e-Naw area, said it had received 21 casualties, with 18 wounded and three dead on arrival.

Taliban sources said the attack was carried out at the Longan Hotel, where Chinese and other foreigners often stay.

Videos posted to Twitter by a journalist in Kabul and verified by Reuters showed smoke billowing from one of the floors amid the sounds of gunfire, while one person was seen trying to escape the attack by jumping from a hotel window.

Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said the attack took place around 2:30 pm local time, with residents in the area saying they heard a loud explosion followed by gunfire.

The attack came a day after China’s ambassador met with the Afghan vice foreign minister to discuss security-related issues and sought more attention on protecting his embassy.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua said the attack took place near a Chinese guesthouse and its embassy in Kabul was closely monitoring the situation.

The embassy did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Several attacks have taken place in Afghanistan in recent months, including an attack on the Pakistani embassy earlier this month and a suicide bombing near the Russian embassy in September. Both attacks were claimed by the Islamic State.

The Taliban, which seized power after US-led foreign forces withdrew in August 2021, have said they are focused on protecting the country.