2018 Inter-Continental Hotel Kabul attack

On 20 January 2018, a group of four or five gunmen attacked the Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, sparking a 12-hour battle.[2] The attack left 40 people dead including fourteen foreigners, while 14 were injured.[3][4]

2018 Inter-Continental Hotel Kabul attack
Part of the War in Afghanistan
The Hotel Inter-Continental Kabul, where the attack took place
LocationKabul, Afghanistan
Coordinates34°32′13″N 69°07′31″E
Date20 January 2018
TargetForeign citizens and Afghan government officials
Attack type
Shooting, hostage taking, arson
Deaths40 (+6 attackers)[1]
Injured14
PerpetratorsTaliban

Background
See also: War in Afghanistan (2001–present)

Kabul is held by the NATO-supported Afghan government, though both the Taliban and Islamic State were able to launch destructive attacks on the capital in the preceding months, including a suicide bombing less than a month prior to the Inter-Continental raid.

Attack

On 20 January 2018, around 21:00 local time[2] gunmen armed with light weapons and rocket-propelled grenades had stormed the Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul, opening fire and taking hostages.[2][5][6] It is believed the gunmen targeted foreigners.[7]

Some hotel guests tried to escape the gunmen by tying bed sheets together and climbing down from the upper floors of the building, which was partially set on fire. Afghan special forces were lowered by helicopters onto the hotel's roof in an attempt to neutralize the attackers.[8] Later soldiers from the Afghan National Army with the assistance of Norwegian special forces from the Marinejegerkommandoen[9][10] responded to the attack and exchanged gunfire with gunmen in the hotel.[2][11]

Afghan officials said the attack was over by the morning hours of 21 January, with 4 attackers and at least 18 others killed, including 14 foreigners.[8] More than 160 people had been rescued from the hotel, while a number of others remained missing. These included 16 employees of Afghan airline Kam Air, which announced that 11 out of the 42 people working for the company who had been present were killed during the attack, while 15 others survived.[8]

Aftermath

“The attack was carried out by Pakistan-based Haqqani network,” the Afghan government said, but stopped short of providing evidence. At least two senior Afghan officials said the country’s intelligence agency had reports that the Haqqani Network, an arm of the Taliban, had planned the violence yet has not publicly released that information.[12] The Taliban later claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement, warning Afghan civilians to avoid locations frequented by foreigners.[8] Weeks prior to the attack, U.S. President Donald Trump suspended military aid to Pakistan accusing it of providing a safe haven for terrorist groups who attack in Afghanistan.[13] On January 22, Trump pressured Pakistan to expel the Taliban and Haqqani leaders.[14]

The Afghan interior ministry said a private firm had taken responsibility for securing the Intercontinental Hotel around three weeks before. The ministry said it was investigating how the attackers had managed to enter the building. 34 provincial officials were gathered at the hotel to participate in a conference organized by the Telecommunication Ministry.[15] An official at that ministry said that more than 100 IT managers and engineers were on site when the attack took place.[16]

Members of the Afghan parliament criticized the fact that the hotel's security was in the hands of a private company. Parliament plans to hold a special session regarding this issue.[17]

Victims
Nationality Deaths Wounded Total Ref.
Afghanistan251237[18]
Ukraine707[19]
United States426[20]
Venezuela202[21][22]
Germany101[23]
Kazakhstan101[24]
Total401456[25]
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See also

References
  1. 'The bed that saved me from the Taliban'
  2. "Gunmen attack major Kabul hotel". BBC News. 20 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  3. ""No Safe Place"". Human Rights Watch. 8 May 2018.
  4. "Kabul hotel attack death toll almost doubles". Daily Telegraph. 25 January 2018.
  5. Jason Hanna; Ehsan Popalzai. "Gunmen launch siege at Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul". CNN. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  6. Sukhanyar, Jawad; Nordland, Rod (2018). "In Kabul, Gunmen Storm Intercontinental Hotel". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  7. AFP (22 January 2018). "Militants who stormed Kabul hotel were targeting foreigners".
  8. "Several Ukrainians among 18 dead in Taliban attack on Kabul hotel". Reuters via Yahoo News. 20 January 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  9. NRK. "Forsvaret: Norske spesialsoldater bidro i aksjon ved hotell i Kabul". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  10. "Kabul-angrepet: Norske soldater deltok i redningsaksjon" (in Norwegian). Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  11. "Kabul attack: Gunmen storm Intercontinental hotel". Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  12. Faizi, Fatima; Mashal, Mujib (2018). "Afghan Forces Retake Control of Kabul Hotel After Deadly Siege". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  13. "Commentary: Why Pakistan continues to provide safe haven for the Afghan Taliban".
  14. "Trump's bombast further divides Afghanistan and Pakistan, as civilians await meaningful change".
  15. "At least 18 dead after gunmen storm Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel". NBC News. AP. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  16. "Heavy casualties after overnight battle at Kabul hotel". Reuters. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  17. Reuters. "Afghan hotel attack stirs fresh debate on private security firms".
  18. "Kabul hotel attack death toll almost doubles". Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  19. 7 Ukrainians killed in terrorist attack on Kabul’s hotel (UPDATED)
  20. LEDERMAN, JOSH (24 January 2018). "4 Americans Were Killed in the Taliban's Attack at a Kabul Hotel". Time. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  21. Pilotos venezolanos huyeron de la crisis y los mató el terrorismo en Kabul
  22. "The Latest: US condemns Kabul hotel attack that left 18 dead". ABC News. 21 January 2018. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018. Two were identified as Venezuelan pilots. Six Ukrainians and a citizen from Kazakhstan were among the dead.
  23. Berlin confirms German national killed in Kabul hotel attack
  24. Kabul hotel attack killed at least 25 – official
  25. 'The bed that saved me from the Taliban'
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