Kabul Hotel Attack Widely Condemned

AVA- Taliban militants stormed the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul on late Saturday night and set off a 16-hour gun battle with Afghan security forces in an overnight siege.

At least six people, including a foreigner killed, six other people, including three security forces wounded and more than 150 people, including 41 foreigners, were rescued from the hotel, the Ministry of Interior confirmed.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the insurgents initially planned to attack the hotel Thursday night but postponed the assault because there was a wedding underway and they wanted to avoid civilian casualties.

Mujahid added the group deployed five suicide bombers armed with hand grenades and AK-47 assault rifles.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah described the bloody terror attack as a crime against humanity and strongly condemned it.

Ghani has assigned a special team to investigate the incident and said, “As long as the terrorist groups have secured protection and safe haven, the region will not find security, stability.”

“I commend the Afghan Forces for their bravery & professional action of rescuing over a 100 civilians and killing all terrorists in the insane attack on Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul. I condemn the attack & condole with the victim families” CE Abdullah tweeted.

The U.S. ambassador to Kabul, John Bass has condemned the attack in a statement too.

“Such violence has no place here or anywhere in the world. The U.S. Embassy is in close contact with Afghan authorities, who are continuing to investigate the incident,” an embassy statement quoted Bass as saying.

Condemning the Kabul terrorist attack, the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in the country (UNAMA) has said that the attack may amount to a war crime.

“There is simply no justification for this egregious attack, which is specifically prohibited by International Humanitarian Law and may amount to a war crime,” said Tadamichi Yamamoto, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan and the head of UNAMA, in a statement.

The Pakistani foreign ministry condemned the hotel siege as a “brutal terrorist attack.”

“The government and the people of Pakistan convey solidarity and support with the government and people of Afghanistan at this dastardly terrorist attack. We convey our deepest sympathies for those who have lost their loved ones,” the ministry said in a statement issued Sunday.

The attack on the Intercontinental came just two days after the US embassy put out a warning that militants might be planning to target hotels in the city.