Five die in attack on Kabul hotel party for foreigners

The Taliban has claimed a late-night attack on a Kabul guesthouse that killed five people.

An Afghan policeman keeps watch on a vehicle at the site of the Park Place Hotel in Kabul,Afghanistan. Image by (AP Photo/Allauddin Khan)

Gunmen stormed the restaurant of the Park Palace Hotel in the Afghan capital as it was hosting a party for foreigners, and authorities said the five were killed during an hours-long siege.

Six people were wounded and 54 hostages rescued.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in an email distributed to media said the group targeted the hotel because of the presence of foreigners including Americans there.

He said only one attacker was involved, armed with a Kalashnikov rifle, a suicide vest and a pistol – not three as the Afghan government reported.

Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman had no breakdown on the nationalities of the victims, but a US Embassy spokeswoman said an American was among the dead.

Throughout the stand-off, sporadic gunfire echoed around the guesthouse in a central neighbourhood that is home to United Nations compounds and a foreign-run hospital.

At one point two explosions were heard and four ambulances later arrived at the scene.

Amin Habi, a US citizen from Los Angeles, said a party was being held at the hotel to honour a Canadian when the gunmen stormed the guesthouse.

He said dozens of people were inside the hotel at the time.

US Embassy spokeswoman Monica Cummings said a US citizen was killed in the attack, although she had no further details and did not identify the victim.

(Press Association)