At least five people have been killed and six others injured in an attack on a luxury hotel in Kabul after it was stormed by militants, officials said on Sunday.
The incident occurred late on Saturday after gunmen burst into the Intercontinental Hotel late on Saturday, shooting at guests and staff, BBC reported.
Sporadic gun firing could still be heard early on Sunday. A thick black smoke was seen rise above the hotel as several rooms of the six-story building caught fire following the attack.
"A counter-attack is ongoing and security forces have cleared most part of the building by early Sunday," Najib Danish, spokesman of Interior Ministry, told the media, adding at least 100 people were rescued by the Afghan Special Forces.
It is not known whether any people remained in terrorist's clutch.
No one knows what is exactly ongoing in the area as security forces did not allow media and people to reach the spot. Even ambulances were lined up near the hotel and failed to reach the site.
The attack comes just days after the US embassy in Kabul issued a warning about hotels in the city.
"We are aware of reports that extremist groups may be planning an attack against hotels in Kabul," the embassy wrote in a public security alert published on Thursday, though it highlighted another hotel near the international airport as a possible target.
The incident caused a big traffic congestion in the western neighbourhood of the city.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
Saturday's attack is not the first against the hotel. In 2011, Taliban militants attacked the same hotel, inflicting high casualties and damage.
Additionally, An Afghan staff member of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) was killed and a female Afghan UN employee was kidnapped after they were ambushed while travelling in a car here on Monday, the police said.
The incident occurred at around 6.10 a.m. in the north of the capital, Kabul Police spokesperson Basir Mujahid told Efe news, adding that the driver of the vehicle was still missing.
"We are investigating the incident in collaboration with a UN delegation to clarify if the driver is involved in the incident or if he was also abducted with the woman," said Mujahid, adding that the people involved in the incident were all Afghans.
According to the spokesperson, the UNAMA staff member's body was found inside the vehicle.
Some possessions of the kidnapped UN employee were found near a car which police believe belonged to the kidnappers.
