KABUL – Taliban militants who killed at least 22 people at a luxury Kabulhotel went from room to room searching for foreigners, survivors and asecurity source said Monday as more details of the victims emerged.
Insurgents armed with Kalashnikovs and suicide vests attacked the landmarkIntercontinental Hotel overlooking the Afghan capital late Saturday, in anassault that lasted more than 12 hours and prompted questions over how theattackers breached security.
Guests hid behind pillars and in rooms as gunmen sprayed bullets and setfire to parts of the six-storey building. Some people climbed overbalconies and used bed sheets in a desperate attempt to escape.
“They were saying, Kill the foreigners! ,” a 20-year-old hotel employeewho gave his name as Hasibullah told AFP from his hospital bed.
He described hiding and listening as the gunmen went from room to room,forcing doors open “with daggers” and killing those inside.
Officials have said at least 14 foreigners were killed.
“They didn t want to kill the Afghans,” a security source told AFP. “Theweapons and bullets they had were for the foreigners.”
Another witness claimed he had seen the militants beheading guests.
The attack ended Sunday with all six militants killed by Afghan forces,aided by Norwegian troops.
Health ministry spokesman Waheed Majroh said 22 bodies had been taken toKabul hospitals. “Some of the bodies (are) burned badly and need DNA teststo be identified,” he said.
The interior ministry gave a lower toll Monday, saying 19 people were dead.There were also conflicting accounts of the number of attackers, which theministry had put at six.
Authorities are known to understate death tolls in high-profile attacks,and much higher figures were circulating on local media.
At least seven Ukrainians were among the dead, the country s ambassador toTajikistan and Afghanistan Viktor Nikitiuk told Ukrainian television 112.
“All the dead were working for the airline Kam Air and living at theIntercontinental Hotel,” he said.
Kam Air, an Afghan carrier, said two Venezuelan staff were also killed inthe assault, bringing the airline s losses to at least nine dead — fivepilots and four crew.
One German citizen and one Kazakh citizen were also killed, their foreignministries said.
Afghan officials told AFP that senior Afghan diplomat Abdullah Poyan diedalong with Mufti Ahmad Farzan, a member of the High Peace Councilresponsible for reconciliation efforts with militants.——————————
Militants already inside?——————————
The employee Hasibullah said he saw two “fashionably dressed” gunmen in thehotel restaurant before the assault began.
The security source confirmed investigators had seen CCTV footage showingthe attackers in the restaurant prior to the assault.
“It was around 8.30 pm… They were sitting in the corner of the hotel andthey immediately started spraying bullets,” Hasibullah said.
He ran to the fifth floor and locked himself inside a room, though notbefore seeing “many” bodies on the ground.
But as the gunmen went from door to door he leapt from the window interror. “I fell on people lying in blood… it was horrific.”
Knocked unconscious, he awoke in hospital with a broken leg and otherwounds.
Another survivor told AFP the attackers “even beheaded the guests andpeople inside the hotel”.
Noorullah, 24, said he worked at the hotel checking its security cameras,but fled to the fourth floor as the power went off and the attack began.
Also describing the militants as wearing civilian clothes, he said theykilled “dozens” of people, opening each room and “raining” bullets.
He, too, jumped from a window to escape.
Witnesses said the hotel s security staff fled the scene as the attackunfolded, though a second security source denied the claim.