Gunmen attacked a Kabul hotel popular with Chinese businessmen on Monday (December 12) afternoon. the Taliban said three attackers were killed, but the death toll remains unclear. The hospital reported three dead and 18 wounded, while the Taliban said two foreigners were wounded and claimed three attackers were killed. The “Islamic State” organization claimed responsibility for the deadly attack that took place on Monday evening. The group said two of its members “A large hotel frequented by Chinese diplomats and businessmen was attacked in Kabul, where they detonated two explosive devices hidden in two bags.”, one aimed at the party of Chinese guests, the other at the reception hall. One of the two attackers threw hand grenades at Taliban officers in an attempt to arrest them, while the other detonated an explosive device on the doors of hotel rooms and shot at hotel guests, IS said in a statement.
Ambulance, the NGO that runs the hospital in Kabul where the victims were taken, tweeted that it had received “21 wounded“and”three were already deadwhen they arrived without specifying whether they were the attackers. The attack on a hotel located in one of the capital’s main commercial areas has ended.the death of three attackers“Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in the evening.All hotel guests were rescued and no strangers were killed. Only two foreign customers were injured when they jumped from the top floorabout the institution, he added.
A Kabul police spokesperson also confirmed that “the three attackers were killed on the spot, the suspect was arrested“. Videos published on social networks show flames on the first floor and hotel residents rushing to the windows. AFP journalists were also able to see a thick plume of smoke rising from the hotel. Several witnesses reported hearing at least five explosions and several gunshots.
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The attack took place at the Longan Hotel in Kabul, a high-rise complex popular with Chinese businessmen visiting Afghanistan after the return of the Taliban. Beijing has not officially recognized the Taliban government, but China, which shares a 76km border with Afghanistan, is one of the few countries to have a diplomatic presence there. Beijing has long feared that Afghanistan would become a base for the Uyghur minority, which hails from China’s highly sensitive border region of Xinjiang. The Taliban have promised that Afghanistan will not be used as a base by Uighur militants. In return, China offered them economic support and investments for the country’s recovery.
Serial attacks
Maintaining stability in Afghanistan after 20 years of war with American and NATO forces is Beijing’s top concern as it seeks to secure its borders and strategic investments in Pakistan, their common neighbor. The Taliban are also counting on China to turn one of the world’s largest copper deposits into a mining factory. A move that would be invaluable in compensating a cash-strapped country hit by international economic sanctions. Although it has rights to major projects in Afghanistan, including the Mes Aynak copper mine in eastern Logar province, China has not advanced any of these projects. The Taliban say they have improved security in the country since taking power in August 2021, but there have been numerous bombings in recent months, mostly claimed by the local affiliate of the Islamic State (IK) jihadist group.
This is not the first time that foreigners have been targeted. On December 2, a security officer was wounded by shots at the Pakistani embassy in Kabul. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, confirming that the mission leader was the target. On September 5, two employees of the Russian Embassy in Kabul and four Afghans were also killed near the building. At the time, it was the first attack against a diplomatic mission since the return of Islamists to power.
Source: Le Figaro
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