Kabul guesthouse siege: 2 Indians among five foreigners killed in the attack

Kabul police chief Gen. Abdul Rahman Rahimi said the attack began at 8:30 pm local time Wednesday.

 | Kabul | Updated: May 14, 2015

Afghan security forces inspect the site of a Park Palace Hotel attack by Taliban militants, in Kabul, Afghanistan.

At least two Indians are among five foreigners killed in an attack on a guesthouse during an hour-long siege that ended early morning in Afghanistan capital.
Gunmen stormed the guesthouse in Kabul as it hosted a party for foreigners. Authorities also added that an American national too was killed during the siege that ended early Thursday morning. Six people were wounded and 54 hostages rescued.

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"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of those we lost last night" —President Obama 2 Indians https://t.co/w0e3sSDFUO

— Bhupesh Kumar Mandal (@bhupeshmandal) May 14, 2015

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Kabul police chief Gen. Abdul Rahman Rahimi said the attack began at 8:30 pm local time on Wednesday when gunmen opened fire at the restaurant of the Park Palace Hotel. He had no breakdown on the nationalities of the victims, but a US Embassy spokeswoman said an American was among the dead.
Throughout the standoff, sporadic gunfire echoed around the guesthouse in a central neighborhood that is home to United Nations compounds and a foreign-run hospital. At one point, two explosions could be heard and four ambulances later arrived.
Amin Habib, a US citizen from Los Angeles, told The Associated Press that a party was going on at the hotel to honour a Canadian when the gunmen stormed the guesthouse. He said dozens of people, including foreigners and US citizens, were inside the hotel at the time.
US Embassy spokeswoman Monica Cummings said in an email statement that a US citizen was killed in the attack, although she had no further details and did not identify the victim. She said the US Embassy was in close contact with Afghan authorities and was working to obtain more information. “Our thoughts are with the families of the victims,” she said.

Amar Sinha, India’s ambassador to Afghanistan, said he believed at least six of the hostages were Indian citizens. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Twitter account said he was “concerned about the situation (and) I pray for everyone’s safety.”
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In the aircraft I got news about the attack in Kabul. Am concerned about the situation & I pray for everyone's safety.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 13, 2015

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Though the exact number of Indians died in the seize was not known, Indian ambassador in Kabul Amar Sinha said there are “a few Indian casualties among others at the Kabul.”
“Unfortunately a few Indian casualties among others at the Kabul g/house attack today,” Sinha tweeted.

@MEAIndia @PMOIndia @narendramodi @SushmaSwaraj Unfortunately a few Indian casualties among others at the Kabul g/house attack today.

— Amar Sinha (@SenseandC_sense) May 13, 2015

Canada’s Foreign Affairs Spokeswoman Caitlin Workman said all staff at the Canadian Embassy in Kabul were “safe and accounted for.”
Hours after the standoff began, fire trucks arrived at the scene, with firefighters saying they were called into clear and secure the area. A number of people were seen leaving the building.
Earlier on Wednesday, police officers freed some 20 people trapped in the guesthouse, but others had remained inside, according to Zia Massoud, an Afghan government official.
The hotel has both guest rooms for visitors and a residential area for those who live full time in Kabul, including foreign aid workers.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, though the Taliban have attacked guesthouses before in Kabul. Afghan security forces have been struggling to fend off Taliban attacks since US and NATO forces formally concluded their combat mission at the end of last year.