Taliban gunmen killed 14 foreigners and four Afghans in armed assault on international hotel in Kabul where desperate guests tied bedsheets together to flee
Terrorists stormed the luxury Intercontinental Hotel yesterday evening, with fire and smoke seen engulfing the building perched on a hilltop overlooking the Afghan capital.
Dramatic footage showed people climbing down from balconies on the six-storey block as black smoke billowed out of rooms. Four Taliban gunmen, armed with light weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, burst into the hotel and opened fire on guests and staff, killing five Afghans and one foreigner, before taking dozens of people hostage.
The siege was eventually stopped after special forces were lowered by helicopters onto the roof during the night. Afghan security forces killed four attackers during a long assault and rescued 150 people, including 40 foreigners, the interior ministry confirmed.