Afghan President Hamid Karzai yesterday vowed that his army and police would be ready to take over from foreign forces as planned despite a brazen assault on one of Kabul’s premier hotels that left 19 people dead — including all eight attackers — and 18 wounded.
The more than five-hour standoff at the Inter-Continental — one of the biggest and most complex attacks orchestrated in the Afghan capital — ended when NATO helicopters fired rockets at Taliban gunmen on the roof. The attack appeared designed to show that the insurgents are capable of striking even in the center of the capital at a time when US officials are speaking of progress in the nearly 10-year war.
Last week, US President Barack Obama announced the beginning of a US troop withdrawal. The transfer of security responsibility to the Afghans is due to officially begin in seven areas of the nation, including most of Kabul Province, in the coming weeks.
Photo: Reuters
Militants, armed with explosive vests, anti-aircraft weapons and grenade launchers, began the attack at about 10pm on Tuesday, on the eve of a conference in the capital about transition plans.
Ashraf Ghani, chairman of the transition commission, opened the conference yesterday with blunt words for the militants.
“The transition process will be done, and these coward enemies will not stop our plans,” he said.
Security at the Inter-Continental and other key installations had been tightened for the conference and other official events taking place in the city.
The hotel, which is frequented by foreigners and dignitaries, has long been considered one of the most secure sites in the capital. Officials said they were investigating how the insurgents were still able to get through and infiltrate the building.
After hours of fighting, two NATO helicopters opened fire at about 3am on the roof of the six-story hotel where militants had taken up positions.
US Army Major Jason Waggoner, a spokesman for the US-led coalition fighting in Afghanistan, said the helicopters killed three gunmen and Afghan security forces clearing the hotel engaged the insurgents as they worked their way up to the roof.
A final explosion occurred a few hours later when one of the bombers who had been hiding in a room blew himself up long after ambulances had carried the dead and wounded from the hotel, according to Kabul Police Chief General Mohammad Ayub Salangi.
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