While the other started detonating explosive devices he had taped on the hotel room doors and fired at hotel guests, one of the two militants threw hand grenades at Taliban officers who were trying to stop them, an IS statement said.
Digital desk: Three armed attackers are said to have been killed by security personnel, ending the arbitrary assassination attempt, a day after gunfire echoed around Kabul, Afghanistan, in a hotel that caters to foreign tourists.
A deadly attack on a hotel in Kabul was simultaneously blamed on the Islamic State organisation.
The group claimed that two of its members "attacked a large hotel in Kabul frequented by Chinese diplomats and businessmen, where they exploded two explosive devices disguised inside two bags," one of which was targeting a party for Chinese guests and the other the reception hall, according to AFP.
While the other started detonating explosive devices he had taped on the hotel room doors and fired at hotel guests, one of the two militants threw hand grenades at Taliban officers who were trying to stop them, according to an IS statement.
Two foreigners were hurt in the incident in what appeared to be an attempt to flee by jumping off the hotel balcony. An Italian non-profit organisation that operates Kabul's Emergency Hospital, which is close to the assaulted hotel in the Shahr-e-Naw neighbourhood, reported receiving 21 wounded upon arrival: 18 injured and three dead, according to Reuters.
The Longan Hotel, which frequently hosts visitors from abroad, including Chinese nationals, was the site of the attack, according to the Taliban-run government.
The attack lasted many hours, according to Khalid Zadran, the Kabul police chief's newly chosen Taliban spokesman. He claimed there was now a "clean-up" effort.
By coincidence, the attack occurred the day after the Chinese ambassador had a meeting with the deputy foreign minister of Afghanistan to address security-related issues and to request additional attention for the protection of its mission.
Continue Reading
