Kabul hotel attack: Three armed assailants killed; two foreign tourists injured

The blast in Kabul came just a day after a mortar attack near Afghanistan's Spin Boldak gate area killed four people and injured 20. Spin Boldak is a border town in the southern Kandhar province of Afghanistan which shares a border with Pakistan.   

Speaking to Republic TV about the attack on a Kabul hotel, Major Gaurav Arya (Retd) underscored that the "Chinese are being attacked everywhere" including Africa apart from Afghanistan and Pakistan. "Though fortunately there have been no killings and no violence, but they have been up and arms and there have been strikes in Laos, in Kenya and other places also wherever there is Chinese investment". 

"The Chinese were involved in large-scale copper mining and the Taliban wanted to encourage the Chinese but there are so many factions between the Taliban. It is not a homogenous entity and what actually happened was that and people said 'enough is enough' and 'the Chinese are swindling us' and this was a message passed to the Chinese", he said. 

According to sources, several Chinese diplomats are said to be trapped inside the building which was attacked by armed assailants in Kabul's Shahr-e Naw area. Meanwhile, the Chinese embassy is closely monitoring the development regarding the blast, said China's state-rin Xinhua news agency, per AP.

Three armed assailants who attacked a hotel catering to foreign visitors including Chinese nationals have been killed, said Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban government's spokesman, per AP.

According to the official, the attack which lasted several hours resulted in the injury to two foreign guests who jumped out of the windows to save themselves. Meanwhile, Khalid Zadran, spokesman for the Kabul police chief said that the 'clean-up' operation is underway. Moreover, a resident of the Shar-e Naw neighbourhood, on the condition of anonymity said that a gun battle is still going on.

Citing Afghanistan's TOLO News, ANI reported Kabul Security Department spokesperson Khalid Zadran as saying that a compound called “Kabul Hotel," in which the ordinary people are living, came under attack by “devil” elements. The security forces have arrived in the area and a clearing operation is underway, he said.

The ISKP is the regional affiliate of the Islamic State which was set up in 2015 during the peak period of the terrorist group in Iraq and Syria. According to the BBC, it had as many as 3,000 fighters at its height and recruited men from both Afghanistan and Pakistan. Apart from being a nemesis of the Taliban, the ISKP has also targeted Afghan forces, politicians and religious minorities particularly Shia muslims and Sikhs. 

Republic TV reported live from the scene of the attack, with reporter Shakib Nazari revealing that the hotel targetted by assailants in Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday is situated near consulates and embassies, and is relatively high-security. 

According to Republic's sources, the Shahr-e Naw area where the attack took place has been cordoned off. Reporter Shakib Nazari, while speaking to Republic, revealed that the area is essentially a 'green zone' meaning several consulates and embassies are located there. 

According to Republic's on-ground reporter Shakib Nazari, a loud explosion was first heard at 3 pm and that the hotel where Chinese nationals were staying was seized by the Taliban. It is being suspected that the attack has been carried out by the IS-Khorasan Province, however, the terrorist organisation is yet to claim responsibility. In the visuals that surfaced from the site, a fire was spotted in one of the floors which is said to have been ignited after a second explosion. 

A loud blast, gunfire were heard in Kabul on Monday near a guest house popular with Chinese business visitors. Residents of the Shahr-e Naw area of the Afghan capital confirmed they heard a blast and sporadic gunfire. However, security officials were not immediately available to comment on the blast, which happened in one of the main commercial areas of the region.