Kabul, October 28: Heavily armed gunmen attacked a guesthouse used by UN staff in the Afghan capital of Kabul early Wednesday, killing at least seven people including three UN staff.
Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid while claiming responsibility for the attack said that it was meant as an assault on the upcoming presidential election.
The attacked happened shortly after dawn (6.30 am local time). Heavy gunfire reverberated through the streets and a large plume of smoke rose over the city
According to eye witnesses, four to five militants opened indiscriminate firing and set ablaze portions of the UN building, situated in the heart of Kabul in Shar-e-Now.
Following the attack, a rocket slammed into the grounds of the luxury Serena Hotel, which is favored by many foreigners. The device failed to explode but filled the lobby with smoke, forcing guests and employees to flee to the basement.
Kabul Police chief Abdul Rahman has confirmed the death toll but the identity of all the deceased is yet to be ascertained.
UN spokesman Adrian Edwards has also confirmed that three UN staff were among the dead and one was seriously wounded. He said 20 UN staff were known to be registered there but he was unsure whether all were there at the time of the attack.
Reports also suggest that the Taliban have taken 20-25 people as hostages, but no confirmation is forthcoming at the moment.
Police jeeps with mounted machineguns and fire engines have rushed to the spot to access the situation.
As of now, international troops and Afghan security forces have cordoned off the UN guesthouse situated in the Shar-e-Now area of the city.
One policeman on the ground, who did not give his name, said the Bachter Guesthouse had come under attack and that there had been a huge blast inside.
Afghan policemen have rushed the wounded persons to Emergency Hospital in the commercial centre of town.
Police have closed off main roads in the main shopping district of the city.
Kabul has been the scene of a number of massive suicide attacks in recent months and remains tense as a political crisis, sparked by a need to rerun the August presidential election, drags on.
The Taliban had, three days ago, issued a statement threatening anyone working on the Nov 7 runoff election between President Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abbdullah.
–Agencies