Deaths as gunmen storm Intercontinental hotel in Kabul
At least five people have been killed and six others wounded in an attack by gunmen on a major hotel in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul.
Officials said on Sunday that two attackers had been killed and one or two others were believed to be still resisting.
Al Jazeera reporter said that Afghan Special Forces were fighting the surviving gunmen who attacked the hotel on Saturday and seized hostages.
"Security forces are going floor-to-floor in that hotel, trying to flush out those attackers," Al Jazeera's Jennifer Glasse, reporting from Kabul, said.
A witness said that part of the building, one of the largest luxury hotels in Kabul, was on fire. Explosions were also heard in the area.
Speaking to Al Jazeera shortly after the attack had started, a person inside Hotel Intercontinental Kabul described a "very dire situation".
"I spoke with somebody inside the hotel ... [who] said attackers were inside the hotel and set fire to a number of floors," said Glasse.
"We know that there were guests inside the hotel at the time of the attack and that a wedding was also going. The interior ministry said that those in the wedding party have been evacuated, as have some guests and staff," our correspondent added.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Previously attacked
The incident came days after US Embassy in Kabul issued a warning that said armed groups may be planning attacks against hotels in the city.
"Kabul has been on high alert for the last few days as prominent delegations have come through the city," said Glasse, calling the attack is a "blow" to security forces.
The Hotel Intercontinental Kabul, situated on a hill overlooking the capital, is usually heavily guarded because of its popularity with government officials and foreigners living in the city.
This was the second time that the hotel came under attack.
In 2011, an overnight assault by Taliban gunmen and suicide bombers on the hotel ended with the killing of the attackers by security forces and the deaths of at least 10 civilians.
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