Complementing this report from Afghanistan's Pajhwok News, the BBC emphasises that the insurgents were killed by a NATO aerial attack on the rooftop of the Intercontinental Hotel. Afghanistan officials say one insurgent, hiding in a hotel room, subsequent blew himself up, also killing two police and a Spanish tourist.
Eight civilians, two policemen and eight Taliban fighters were among 18 killed in a suicide attack on the Kabul Intercontinental Hotel, the Ministry of Interior said.
The attack began around 10:30 PM Tuesday and lasted until 3:00 AM Wednesday morning.
Kabul security officials had initially said six assailants were involved in the attack, but the interior ministry said in a press release that eight attackers were killed in an operation conducted by the Afghan National Police, the Afghan National Army and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
Three of the dead and a number of the injured were rushed to various hospitals, said Kabir Amiri, head of Kabul hospitals. The injured are reported to be in stable condition, said Amiri.
According to the interior ministry, the civilians killed in the attack were not high profile targets, but ordinary Afghans.
However, a source in the Supreme Court told Pajhwok Afghan News that the provincial judge from Logar province, Abdul Hanan, was killed in the attack.
Meanwhile, Dr. Nazir Sherzai, director of the Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan hospital, said that an official from the office of the Supreme Court, Abdul Rasheed, was brought to the hospital after sustaining injuries in the attack.
Eyewitnesses said a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-packed vest at the gate of the hotel while others entered the building.
Another suicide bomber blew himself up on the first floor and others climbed to the roof of the hotel, an eyewitness added.
The remaining suicide bombers fought off security forces until dawn, but were finally killed in an ISAF air attack.
ISAF Spokesman Capt. Justin Brockhoff said that a single ISAF helicopter was deployed to assist Afghan security personnel in the operation, at the request of the interior ministry. The helicopter engaged five militants on the roof of the hotel, several of whom detonated suicide vests and several of whom were killed by ISAF gunfire.
The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. Taliban Spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said that a large number of Afghans and foreigners were either killed or wounded in the attack.