According to the Associated Press, several Americans were among the dead and wounded following Saturday’s 13-hour standoff between Afghan security forces and six Taliban militants at the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul. Per public comments from Afghan officials, the six gunmen entered the facility with weapons and individual suicide vests and “were looking for foreigners and Afghan officials to kill.” In the end, 22 people were killed.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed with the AP that Americans were among the dead and wounded, but would not offer any further details:
No exact figures were immediately available for either the U.S. fatalities or injuries. In total, 22 people were killed in the attack including 14 foreigners, Afghan officials have said. Eleven of the 14 foreigners had been previously identified as working for the private Afghan airline KamAir.
“We offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who were killed and wish for the speedy recovery of those wounded,” the State Department said. “Out of respect for the families of the deceased, we have no further comment.”
However, officials briefed on the matter did say “six Ukrainians, two Venezuelan pilots for KamAir and a citizen of Kazakhstan and a citizen of Germany were also killed” during Saturday’s siege. Over 150 people were rescued from the hotel during the standoff, including 41 foreigners. Per the report, survivors “hid in bathtubs or under mattresses as the attackers roamed the hotel’s hallways killing people.”
(Via Associated Press)