Taliban attack on conference hotel in Kabul leaves 20 dead

The death toll from a Taliban terror attack on a hotel in Kabul has risen to 20, including 14 foreigners. The guests were shot during a 14-hour terror rampage. The Intercontinental hotel is a state-owned hotel not connected to the global chain of the same name. It is popular as a conference and wedding venue in the Afghan capital. Guests attending an IT conference tried to flee, according to one report in The Times newspaper. During the attack telecoms executive Aziz Tayeb posted a desperate plea on Facebook: “Pray for me. I may die.” Tayeb was due to attend an IT conference on Sunday 20 January at the hotel. The Afghan interior ministry claimed 160 guests and staff were rescued after troops fought to regain control of the Intercontinental. Nine Ukrainians, one German, one Greek and one Kazakh citizen were among those confirmed dead. Terrorists had burst into the hotel at 21h00 local time on Saturday evening as guests were enjoying dinner. It was reported that the terrorists had entered the hotel via the kitchen evading guards posted at the front of the building.