Gunmen attack Kabul hotel
‘Dozens of dead bodies lying around me’
It was sometime after 9 p.m. on Saturday, when a telecommunications employee left his room in Kabul’s largest and safest hotel to join a reception.
Mumtaz Ahmad walked down the hall toward the elevator.
When the doors opened, he said: “I saw two armed suicide bombers. People were escaping and the attackers were firing at them.”
This was the beginning of a harrowing night for almost 160 guests, many of whom cowered in their rooms as several Taliban-linked gunmen swept through the Intercontinental Hotel killing foreigners and Afghan officials.
By morning, it was clear that at least 18 people — including 14 foreigners — were dead. According to Afghan officials, security forces rescued 160 people. Afghanistan’s Tolo TV put the death toll as high as 43.
Multiple reports paint a terrifying ordeal for the victims, some of whom clambered down from their suites by tying bedsheets to their balconies to escape gunfire and explosions that could be seen and heard throughout the night.
Conflicting reports suggest between four and six armed gunmen managed to lay siege to the hotel for at least 13 hours.
There were no Canadians reported among the casualties, according to Global Affairs Canada.
“Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with those affected by the terrorist attack on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul Afghanistan,” said Elizabeth Reid, a spokesperson for the department. “Global Affairs Canada is closely monitoring the evolving situation.”
Among the dead are several employees from a private Afghan airline known as KamAir, including two Venezuelan pilots identified by AP as Adelsis Ramos and Pablo Chiossone. At least six Ukrainians are also said to be deceased. Afghan officials said one citizen from Kazakhstan also died.
Three senior Afghan officials were also killed, including Waheed Poyan, a recently appointed consul general to Karachi, Pakistan; and Ahmad Farzan, who worked for the High Peace Council — a commission created to facilitate peace talks between the Afghan government and militant groups, including the Taliban.
This is the second time militants have targeted the luxury hotel, which overlooks Kabul from a hill and is popular among government officials and foreigners. The attack also comes as the security situation continues to spiral in a country that has been at war since 2001. The U.S. and NATO formally withdrew from the country in 2014.
Afghan officials said the hotel had switched to a private security firm several weeks ago and the investigation into how the insurgents entered the normally well fortified hotel is ongoing; the New York Times cited an Afghan Interior Ministry spokesman who said six assailants entered the Intercontinental through the kitchen armed with hand grenades and AK-47s.
According to Al Jazeera, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack: “Our five fighters, Bilal, Ayubi, Khalil, Bashar and Abid entered the building and conducted the operation that resulted in the death of 10 foreigners and Afghan government officials.”
The Afghan government claimed six attackers, who were killed in the standoff and raid.
The Taliban spokesperson also said the group had intended to attack the hotel on Thursday, but postponed the plot as the hotel was hosting a wedding on that day and wanted to avoid civilian deaths.
According to Tolo, a respected 24/7 news channel in Afghanistan, survivors said the assailants were wearing civilian clothing.
A 20-year-old server named Haseeb, who began serving at the hotel restaurant only four months ago, said the assailants ordered a meal before opening fire on fellow guests.
“They (attackers) were wearing very stylish clothes,” Haseeb said.
“They came to me and asked for food. I served them the food and they (attackers) thanked me and took their seats. Then they took out their weapons and started shooting the people.
“There were dozens of dead bodies lying around me. I was one of the few people alive there, but one wounded person asked me for help and I took him out,” Haseeb told Tolo.