Attack on a hotel in Kabul city ended with 3 attackers being killed by security forces: Suhail Shaheen

KABUL, Dec 12, (SABAH): Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) Permanent Representative-designate to United Nations, Head, Political Office, former Negotiations Team’s Member Muhammad Suhail Shaheen has said that the attack on a hotel in Kabul city ended with 3 attackers being killed by security forces.

While replying a question of media, Suhail Shaheen said that all guests in the hotel have been rescued and no foreign national killed. He said that only two foreign citizens slightly injured when they tried to jump from a window.

It is worth mentioning here that at least three attackers have been killed by Afghanistan’s security forces after they opened fire at a Kabul hotel popular with Chinese nationals, says IEA spokesman.

The unidentified armed men opened fire inside the multi-storey Kabul Longan Hotel in central Kabul on Monday, with witnesses reporting multiple blasts and several bursts of gunfire.

The attack has now ended and no foreigners were killed, although two of them were injured while trying escape the attack by jumping from the hotel balcony, IEA Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.

While the firing was continuing inside the hotel, a fire broke out on one of its floors, sources told a foreign news agency.

A video posted on Twitter by a journalist in Kabul, verified by the foreign news agency, showed smoke billowing out of the building.

The attack took place around 2:30pm local time (10:00 GMT) when armed men targeted the hotel where “common people were staying”, Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said, adding that forces were trying to secure the area.

Residents of the area said the attack was carried out at a building where Chinese and other foreigners usually stay. The shooting continued after they heard a powerful explosion, they said.