The Taliban terror group has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, that killed at least 43 people, the Reuters news agency reports, citing Afghani officials.
The assault started at about 9:00 p.m. local time (16:30 GMT) and was followed by the siege by the country's special forces when several gunmen dressed in army uniforms stormed the hotel and took several people hostage, keeping others trapped in their rooms. In total, the siege took about 18 hours.
According to the AP news agency, the attack took place during a conference by the Telecommunication Ministry, which brought together at least 34 local officials. As the agency reports, citing the Interior Ministry, a private firm took responsibility for the hotel's guarding three weeks before, with the investigation opened to find out how the attackers managed to get into the tightly guarded luxury hotel, popular among foreigners.
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Pakistan Defence Command@PDCMDOfficialSeveral Dead, Multiple Hostages and #Kabul
Hotel Operation still continues... #ANA#NDS#US#CIA#NATO failed 
#DoMore Please!1:48 AM - Jan 21, 2018
This was the second attack at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul: the first one took place in 2011, claiming the lives of 12 people, with all nine attackers eliminated as a result.
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Asfandyar Bhittani?@BhittaniKhannnnIntense fighting going on in Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul. 2-4 attackers have taken hostages too.
Gunfire can be heard in Pakistan embassy which is located about a km from the hotel. #kabul
9:47 PM - Jan 20, 2018
Afghanistan has a long history ofsuffering fromTalibanactivity, a militant group created inthe 1990s and aiming toestablish strict Sharia law inAfghanistan and Pakistan.
