At least 10 Afghan civilians were killed when suicide bombers and heavily armed Taliban insurgents attacked a hotel frequented by Westerners in the Afghan capital latelast night.
The attack took place on the eve of a conference to discuss plans for Afghan forces to take over security when international troops leave by the end of 2014.
Helicopters from the Nato-led force killed the last three insurgents in a final rooftop battle, a coalition spokesman said. Smoke rose from the roof of the Intercontinental hotel as the sun rose over Kabul after a battle lasting several hours.
"At least 10 civilians, including hotel staff, were killed when six suicide bombers attacked the Intercontinental," Mohammad Zahir, the head of the Kabul police crime unit, told Reuters.
Afghan interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi , a spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, said at least six Afghans had been killed.
A Taliban spokesman quickly claimed responsibility for the rare night-time attack in the capital.
Coming on the eve of the transition conference, the attack threw a harsh light on US president Barack Obama's recently announced plan to withdraw 33,000 US troops from Afghanistan in a year and to end the American combat role by the end of 2014. Kabul has been designated as one of seven cities and provinces scheduled to start shifting from Nato to Afghan control in July.
Initially, Afghan security forces took the lead in the hotel battle, turning off electrical power and rushing at least 200 troops to the scene.
A team of Afghan commandos moved into the hotel, where 60 to 70 guests — including provincial officials from around the country and foreign visitors — hid in their rooms as machine guns echoed.
The insurgents made their last stand on the hotel rooftop, engulfing the top floor in flames and detonating bomb vests as Black Hawk helicopters fired at them with machine guns and rockets.
Nazar Ali Wahedi, chief of intelligence for Helmand province in the south, called the assailants "the enemy of stability and peace."
Kabul deputy police chief Daoud Amin said seven people died in the attack and eight other people - two policemen and six civilians - were wounded. The attackers were not included in that death toll.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack.
"One of our fighters called on a mobile phone and said: 'We have gotten onto all the hotel floors and the attack is going according to the plan. We have killed and wounded 50 foreign and local enemies. We are in the corridors of the hotel now taking guests out of their rooms — mostly foreigners. We broke down the doors and took them out one by one.'"
The Taliban often exaggerate casualties from their attacks. The statement did not disclose the number of attackers, and said only one suicide bomber had died.
AP