9 foreigners among 14 killed in Kabul guesthouse shooting

Foreign and local officials say at least 14 people, including nine foreigners, were killed in an attack against a guesthouse in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

On Thursday, officials confirmed that one American national, one Italian and four Indians were among those killed a day earlier in the incident at the Park Palace claimed by Taliban militants. The nationalities of the other victims were not unidentified.

Kabul police chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi said that security forces had rescued 54 people at the guesthouse, which is located in an up-market district popular among international aid agency workers.

“So far, we have identified one attacker, but we are looking to see if there were more. We are trying to find out the circumstances in which the attack took place. We need more investigation,” Rahimi added.

Reports say three assailants were killed by Afghan security forces.

The incident comes as Taliban militants started their annual spring offensive against Afghan security forces and the US-led foreign troops across the war-torn country on April 24.

The militants have been carrying out attacks against US-led foreign soldiers, who have been stationed in the country since Washington led the invasion of Afghanistan back in 2001, as part of its so-called war on terror.

Although the Taliban were removed from power, the country is still threatened by frequent deadly attacks.

The US-led combat mission in Afghanistan ended on December 31, 2014. However, thousands of foreign forces, mainly from the United States, have remained in the country in what Washington calls a support mission.

Afghan forces are now responsible for security in the country.