Kabul hotel attack ends as three gunmen killed; two foreigners injured - Reuters.com

KABUL, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Armed men opened occurrence connected Monday wrong a edifice successful cardinal Kabul fashionable with Chinese nationals successful an onslaught that ended erstwhile astatine slightest 3 gunmen were killed by information forces, the Taliban-run medication said.

Two foreigners were injured portion trying to flight by jumping from the edifice balcony, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid wrote connected Twitter.

Kabul's Emergency Hospital, tally by an Italian non-profit adjacent the attacked edifice successful the Shahr-e-Naw area, reported receiving 21 casualties - 18 injured and 3 dormant connected arrival.

Taliban sources said the onslaught was carried retired astatine Longan Hotel wherever Chinese and different foreigners usually stay.

Videos posted connected Twitter by a writer successful Kabul and verified by Reuters showed fume billowing retired of 1 of the floors amid sounds of gunshots, portion a idiosyncratic was seen trying to flight the onslaught by jumping retired of a edifice window.

Kabul constabulary spokesperson Khalid Zadran said the onslaught took spot astir 2.30 p.m. section time, with residents successful the country saying they heard a almighty detonation followed by gunfire.

The onslaught came a time aft China's ambassador met the Afghan lawman overseas curate to sermon security-related matters and sought much attraction connected the extortion of its embassy.

China's state-run Xinhua quality bureau said the onslaught happened adjacent a Chinese guesthouse and its embassy successful Kabul was intimately monitoring the situation.

The embassy did not respond to a Reuters petition for comment.

Several bombings person taken spot successful Afghanistan successful caller months, including an onslaught connected the Pakistan embassy earlier this period and a termination blast adjacent the Russian embassy successful September. Both attacks were claimed by the Islamic State.

The Taliban, which seized powerfulness aft U.S.-led overseas forces withdrew successful August 2021, person said they are focused connected securing the country.

Reporting by Kabul newsroom and Jibran Ahmad successful Peshawar; Writing by Shivam Patel successful New Delhi; Editing by Miral Fahmy, William Maclean and Arun Koyyur

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