14 dead in attack on Afghan guesthouse

KABUL—The Afghan Taliban claimed responsibility on Thursday for an attack on a popular guesthouse in Kabul that officials said killed at least 14 people, including foreigners attending a dinner and arriving for a concert.

An American, a Briton and four Indian nationals were confirmed among the dead at Park Palace guesthouse in an upscale neighborhood of central Kabul.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said in an emailed statement one of the insurgents’ operatives carried out the attack with the aim of killing foreign citizens in retaliation for the United States and its allies supporting the Kabul government of President Ashraf Ghani.

“The occupying forces should realize that they are not safe from our attacks under any cover or in any location,” Mujahid said.

The official death toll rose from five to 14 on Thursday as more bodies were found after the five-hour standoff with police.

“It was one attacker and we are still investigating how he got in,” police criminal investigation chief Farid Afzali Kabul said.

The US and Indian embassies confirmed their citizens were among the dead, but the nationalities of the others killed were not yet clear.

The shooting started on Wednesday night as some guests gathered for a dinner at the guesthouse and others were arriving for a concert.

Mujahid said that the single attacker armed with a pistol, AK-47 and explosive materials was targeting the concert.

“We have pinpointed the location precisely and found out the exact time of the event,” he said in a statement.

Police and Army forces quickly surrounded the area but it was five hours before they could clear the building.

Kabul’s police chief said 44 people were rescued during the operation.