At least two people were wounded Monday after an attack by unidentified gunmen on a hotel in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, the Taliban confirmed, with no claim of responsibility for the assault so far.
Taliban spokesman and Afghan Deputy Information Minister Zabihullah Mujahid said that «the attack on a hotel in Kabul has resulted in the death of the three attackers.» «All guests have been saved and no foreigners have been killed. Two foreign guests have been injured after jumping from a rooftop,» he added on his Twitter account.
Meanwhile, Kabul Security Department spokesman Jalid Zadran said on Twitter that the place has been attacked by «malicious elements.» «Security forces have reached the area and are clearing it,» he said. Videos posted on social media show a large plume of smoke in the area.
Residents of the Shahr-e-Nau area have detailed in statements to the Afghan television channel Tolo TV that an explosion was recorded in the area, followed by heavy gunfire. Sources quoted by 1TV indicated that the target of the attack was the above-mentioned lodging, popular with Chinese visitors.
The incident comes a day after Afghan Deputy Prime Minister Mohamad Abas Stanikzai met in Kabul with Chinese Ambassador Wang Yu to assure him that the Taliban guarantee the safety of diplomatic representatives and facilities in the country following the recent attacks on the Pakistani and Russian embassies.