Top Kabul hotel under attack: police chief

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Top Kabul hotel under attack: police chief | World | DAWN.COM

KABUL: One of Kabul’s leading hotels, popular with foreigners and government officials, is under attack by gunmen, the head of police criminal investigations in Kabul told AFP Tuesday.

“It’s an attack on the Intercontinental Hotel. There are several gunmen shooting,” said Kabul criminal investigations chief Mohammad Zahir, adding that “a number” of police had been wounded.

An AFP reporter close to the scene reported hearing at least one explosion and heavy gunfire.

He said the hotel was now in darkness after power in the area had apparently been cut.

There was a heavy police presence at the scene and traffic was being diverted, the reporter added.

The Intercontinental is one of Kabul’s best-known high-end hotels. It is situated on a hill above the city and was established in 1969.

[Sher Malang]

This hotel is 2 km away from my house, it was 2:38AM that a suicide attacker exploded himself and after that there were some gun shots, after 3 minutes I heard an explosion of RPG, in within 4/5 minutes 2 ISAF helicopters reached the area and the gunshots continued for some 18 minutes. 2 of the attackers were killed by the ISAF and the other 3 of them were killed by the Afghan forces. The total number of attackers were 6 and they were all shot down by Afghan forces and ISAF in just 25-28 minutes.

This hotel has the best location among the hotels in south asia, it's located on a hill covered with dark forest with a great environment and a first choice hotel for foreign guests in Kabul.

[DaRk KnIght]

The Hindu : News / International : Seven killed in attack on Kabul hotel

Afghan police say seven people have been killed in a more than four-hour standoff between militants and police at a hotel in the Afghan capital.

Deputy police chief in Kabul, Daoud Amin, says eight other people -- two policemen and six civilians -- were wounded in the attack which ended early Wednesday when NATO helicopters fired rockets at gunmen on the rooftop of the besieged hotel and Afghan security forces stormed the top of the building.

Interior Ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi says six suicide bombers attacked the Inter-Continental hotel, which is frequented by Afghan officials and foreign visitors. He says two were killed by hotel guards and four others either blew themselves up or were killed in the airstrike or by Afghan troops.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

[Sher Malang]

Kabul hotel attack: Nato helicopters kill Taliban

Isaf's Major Tim James: "The Afghan national security forces have responded incredibly well"

Nato helicopters have been called in to strike militants on the roof of a hotel in the Afghan capital, Kabul, that was attacked by suicide bombers and gunmen.

Two helicopters shot dead three attackers at the Intercontinental Hotel during an overnight clash that lasted nearly five hours.

Three other attackers and at least 10 civilians were killed in the assault on the hotel.

The hotel is popular with Westerners, although all guests are reported safe.

A spokesman for the Taliban said the insurgent group had carried out the attack.

Smoke and flames could be seen coming from the hotel as the sun rose over Kabul.

Afghan security officials said at least six militants had stormed the hotel, and all had been killed.

Interior ministry spokesman Siddiq Siddiqi told AFP that all the non-militants killed at the hotel were Afghans, and that eight other people had been wounded.
'Panic'

The attack began while many guests were in the dining room of the hotel late on Tuesday.

Afghan officials told the BBC that one suicide bomber had blown himself up at the front of the hotel and another on the second floor.

Witnesses said panic broke out as guests fled for safety. Afghan troops and police sealed off the hotel and cut the power, using flares to light the area.

Intense gunfire was heard coming from the hotel and some explosions could be heard up to 5km away, said the BBC's Bilal Sarwary in Kabul.

Afghan police said one militant was shot dead as security forces fought their way through the hotel.

Three attackers managed to reach the roof and Afghan officials then asked the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) for assistance, security sources told the BBC.

Isaf spokesman Major Tim James said those killed on the roof by Nato helicopters appeared to have been wearing suicide vests.

An Afghan official said the attackers had hand-grenades, rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47s.

Officials said a meeting of provincial governors taking place at the hotel might have been the target of the attack.

The attack also came the night before the start of a conference about the transition of responsibility for security from Isaf to Afghan security forces.

Correspondents say the Intercontinental is one of Kabul's most heavily guarded hotels.

The US state department condemned the attack, saying it demonstrated "the terrorists' complete disregard for human life".

Kabul has been relatively stable in recent months, although violence has increased across the country since the killing of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan on 2 May, and the start of the Taliban's "spring offensive".

In January 2008, militants stormed the capital's most popular luxury hotel, the Serena, and killed eight people, including an American, a Norwegian and a Philippine woman.

Source: BBC News - Kabul hotel attack: Nato helicopters kill Taliban

[Sher Malang]

^like every other operation, NATO has taken the headlines and the credit of the blood of Afghan soldiers, NATO even didn't put their boots on the ground, this is BS!

[Sher Malang]

Interior Ministry: 8 civilians, 8 assailants killed in Intercontinental Hotel attack


Interior Ministry: 8 civilians, 8 assailants killed in Intercontinental Hotel attack

Javed Hamim Kakar & Zarghuna Salehi

Kabul (PAN): Eight civilians and eight Taliban fighters were among 16 killed in a suicide attack on the Kabul Intercontinental Hotel, the Ministry of Interior said.

The attack took place around 10:30 PM Tuesday and lasted until 3:00 AM Wednesday morning.

Kabul security officials had initially said six assailants were involved in the attack, but the interior ministry said in a press release that 8 attackers were killed in an operation conducted by the Afghan National Police, the Afghan National Army and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Earlier, security officials had said that 10 civilians were killed in the melee, but the interior ministry’s press release put that number at eight. Eight other civilians were injured, it said.

Three of the dead and a number of the injured were rushed to different hospitals, said Kabir Amiri, head of Kabul hospitals. The injured are reported to be in stable condition, said Amiri.

According to the interior ministry, the civilians killed in the attack were not high profile targets, but ordinary Afghans.

Eyewitnesses said a suicide bomber detonated his explosives packed vest at the gate of the hotel while others entered the building.

Another suicide bomber blew himself up on the first floor and others climbed to the roof top, an eyewitness added.

The three remaining suicide bombers fought off security forces until dawn, but were finally killed in an ISAF air attack.

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said that a large number of Afghans and foreigners were either killed or wounded in the attack.

More details will follow.

Source: Interior Ministry: 8 civilians, 8 assailants killed in Intercontinental Hotel attack | Pajhwok Afghan News

[Khan]

I cant understand how they managed to go through several layers of security with their arms and amunitions?

[Sher Malang]

I cant understand how they managed to go through several layers of security with their arms and amunitions?

Original Post By Khan

My other friend who lives just 200 meters away from this hotel told me that this was very planned attack, it was started on 9:30 and the Taliban were separated in different groups and fired in different stages of the night not all at once, as of your question I am 100% sure their equipments were outside the building in some safe place because passing through 4 security check points inside the area of the hotel, this is impossible for them to take the equipment with themselves and may be some of their agents inside the government helped them with this.

[Khan]

The Taliban were very quick to claim responsibility, but in other attacks which have taken lives of many dozens civilians they simply do not accept the attack to be their job. Notably last week's suicide attack on a hospital in Logar, attack on sugar factory in Baghlan which killed several dozens of people(majority were school kids) and also some other deadly roadside attacks.....none of them were claimed by coward Taliban although it was their work.

[Khan]

My other friend who lives just 200 meters away from this hotel told me that this was very planned attack, it was started on 9:30 and the Taliban were separated in different groups and fired in different stages of the night not all at once, as of your question I am 100% sure their equipments were outside the building in some safe place because passing through 4 security check points inside the area of the hotel, this is impossible for them to take the equipment with themselves and may be some of their agents inside the government helped them with this.

Original Post By Sher Malang

exactly, these bloody traitors need to be found out and hanged just like their other friend who execucted a few days ago. They are the enemy of the country and our people. If they have any problem or difference they can come and fight political fight instead of killing their own people.

[Sher Malang]

exactly, these bloody traitors need to be found out and hanged just like their other friend who execucted a few days ago. They are the enemy of the country and our people. If they have any problem or difference they can come and fight political fight instead of killing their own people.

Original Post By Khan

Government is not serious with these traitors inside Afghanistan and Karzai know them very well, till when our soldiers bleed for this $hit.

[Khan]

CNN.com International - Breaking, World, Business, Sports, Entertainment and Video Newshttp://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video....cnn?hpt=hp_c2

[RoYaN]

Helicopter gunships to end a siege a little too much fore??

[Khan]

Helicopter gunships to end a siege a little too much fore??

Original Post By RoYaN

They probably wanted to wrap it up quickly.

[RoYaN]

They probably wanted to wrap it up quickly.

Original Post By Khan

Risk to innocent lives?? any one consider that??
OFF TOPIC:why do you write in blue??