Kabul guesthouse siege ends with 5 foreigners killed, 6 injured

At least five people were killed and six others injured after gunmen attacked a guesthouse in the Afghan capital, which was hosting a party for foreigners. Authorities said that 54 hostages were rescued after an hours-long siege that ended early Thursday morning.

Kabul police chief General Abdul Rahman Rahimi said the attack began at 8:30 p.m. local time Wednesday when gunmen opened fire at the restaurant of the Park Palace Hotel. While the nationalities of the victims are not known, a U.S. Embassy spokeswoman said an American was among those dead, reported ABC News.

Sporadic gunfire and two explosions were heard around the guesthouse which is located in a central neighborhood of Kabul and is home to United Nations compounds and a foreign-run hospital.

A U.S. citizen from Los Angeles said that a party was being held to honour a Canadian when the gunmen stormed the guesthouse. He said that dozens of people, including foreigners and U.S. citizens, were present inside the hotel at the time.

Amar Sinha, India's ambassador to Afghanistan, said he believed that at least six of the hostages were Indians. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on his Twitter account that he was "concerned about the situation" and was praying for everyone's safety.

No militant group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Taliban has attacked guesthouses in Kabul before.