KABUL – The US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has officially respondedover the deadly suicidal attack on the Intercontinental Hotel Kabul by theAfghan Taliban that killed at least 43 people including the foreigners.
Tillerson condemned the attack at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul thatkilled at least 43 people including 11 foreign nationals and praised theAfghan authorities for handling the assault.
He said in a statement: “We mourn all those who lost their lives in theattack, whether Afghans or citizens of other countries,” Tillerson said ina statement. “We offer our deepest condolences to the families and friendsof those who were killed and wish for the speedy recovery of those wounded.”
The statement comes after the hotel was stormed by Taliban insurgents onSaturday night at about 9pm local time. The siege ended 17 hours later.
However, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) has officially confirmed the deathof 29 people but reliable sources told TOLOnews the death toll was closerto 43.
Tillerson said the US is speaking with Afghan officials about the attackand is “committed to supporting Afghan efforts to achieve peace, security,and prosperity for their country.”
“We are in contact with Afghan authorities regarding their investigation ofthe incident,” he said.
“We have seen the Taliban’s claim of responsibility and condemn terroristgroups for their violent campaign against Afghan and foreign personnelworking to improve Afghanistan.”
The siege of the Intercontinental Hotel this weekend was the latest in astring of insurgent attacks in Kabul and around the country – underliningthe country’s fragile security situation.
The attack also came just two days after the US embassy in Kabul issued athreat alert that insurgents.
This was the second time the Intercontinental Hotel has come under attackin the past few years. In June, 2011, a suicide bomber killed 21 people,including 10 civilians, at the hotel.