Taliban attack

On Wednesday, Afghan police continued to search for any casualties or threats at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul.

It was late on Tuesday night when nine militants stormed the building. Nine civilians, including two foreigners, were killed as well as two police officers who died in the ensuing gunfight that went on into the early hours of Wednesday morning. All the insurgents were either killed or blew themselves up, officials said.

A hotel receptionist said that the attackers had entered the hotel and made their way to the ballroom. Some were apparently carrying tape recorders playing Taliban war songs. They shot at anyone they saw. The receptionist told Reuters that guests had jumped from the second and third floors to escape.

According to an Afghan interior ministry statement, a Spanish civil aviation pilot who was identified as Antonio Planes died in the attack. Spain's foreign ministry confirmed the information. A Turkish pilot working for Saga Airlines was also identified as one of the victims.

ISAF to the rescue

Officials said that the assailants had explosive vests, light weapons and hand grenades. A spokesman for the National Directorate of Security said that five of them had blown themselves up but that nobody else was injured in the explosions.

"Three of them who had gone to the roof of the hotel and opened fire on Afghan security forces were gunned down by the ISAF air forces," he told reporters.

Major Tim Jones from the NATO-led International Assistance Security Forces said the team "had responded to an assistance request from Afghan security forces while they were dealing with the situation."

German general Carsten Jacobsen said ISAF's role was merely supportive and that "the operation itself was conducted by Afghan security forces."

Earlier reports from ISAF sources had suggested that a Black Hawk helicopter had fired rockets and killed insurgents.

General Jacobsen said it was not clear whether the insurgents on the rooftop were killed by small arms fire from the helicopter or whether they blew themselves up.

Taliban claim responsibility

A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack, which is already the eighth in Kabul alone this year.

It came just as foreigners and Afghan officials were preparing for a two-day conference on the security handover from NATO to Afghan forces in two provinces and five cities.

Many of the participants were staying at the Intercontinental Hotel, which is frequented by Westerners and VIPS.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said such attacks would not stop the security handover. However, the brazenness of the attack just days before the transition is to begin raised doubts as to whether the Afghan forces are in a position to take over full responsibility for security in Afghanistan and equipped to fight the Taliban.

Author: Anne Thomas (dpa, Reuters)
Editor: Manasi Gopalakrishnan