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A regional affiliate of the Islamic State group known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) has claimed responsibility for an attack on a hotel in central Kabul popular with Chinese nationals.
Armed men opened fire on Monday inside the hotel, and at least three gunmen were killed by security forces. Two foreigners were injured while trying to escape by jumping from the hotel balcony, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid wrote on Twitter.
The ISKP, a rival of Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban, also released photos of two attackers named ‘Abu Omar’ and ‘Abu Jabbar’ on its channel on Telegram. It also released a video of the attackers pledging allegiance to the new leader of Islamic State, Abu Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi.
Multiple reports have quoted Taliban sources as saying that the attack was carried out at Longan Hotel in Kabul’s Shar-e Naw neighbourhood frequented by Chinese guests among other foreigners. The Islamic State has on multiple occasions warned China over its treatment of Uighyur Muslims. The ISKP has increased its attacks since the Taliban takeover of the country last year.
Videos posted on Twitter by a journalist in Kabul showed smoke billowing out of one of the floors amid sounds of gunshots, while a person was seen trying to escape the attack by jumping out of a hotel window. Kabul police spokesman Khalid Zadran said the attack took place around 2.30 pm local time, with residents in the area saying they heard a powerful explosion followed by gunfire.
The attack came a day after China’s ambassador met the Afghan deputy foreign minister to discuss security-related matters and sought more attention on the protection of its embassy. China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said the attack happened near a Chinese guesthouse and its embassy in Kabul was closely monitoring the situation.
Several bombings have taken place in Afghanistan in recent months, including an attack on the Pakistan embassy earlier this month and a suicide blast near the Russian embassy in September. Both attacks were claimed by the Islamic State.
The Taliban, which seized power after US-led foreign forces withdrew in August 2021, have said they are focused on securing the country.
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