Gunmen stormed a guesthouse in Afghanistan during a party for foreigners, killing five, including an American citizen. Another five people were wounded.
Kabul Police Chief Abdul Rahman said early Thursday that the attack began at 8:30 p.m. local time Wednesday, when gunmen opened fire at the Park Palace Hotel. He had no breakdown on the nationalities of the victims.
Police rescued dozens of foreigners and killed three assailants, ending the siege five hours after it began.
The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan confirmed one American citizen was killed but did not release that person's name.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, though the Taliban have attacked guesthouses before in Kabul.
The Park Palace Hotel, popular with foreign visitors and non-governmental organizations, is close to the offices of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
The area, called Shahr e Naw, or New City, is home to several upmarket restaurants frequented by members of NGOs working in Kabul.
Multiple reviews left on travel sites about the Park Palace have expressed satisfaction with the security measures provided.
Another suicide attack in Lashkargah, the capital of Helmand province, killed 10 and wounded another 12 Wednesday.