American Among Dead in Kabul Hotel Attack

Police say gunmen stormed a guesthouse in the Afghan capital as it hosted a party for foreigners, triggering an hourslong siege that ended with five people dead, including an American and two Indian nationals. Six were wounded and 54 hostages were rescued. Kabul Police Chief Abdul Rahman says the attack began at 8:30pm local time yesterday, when gunmen opened fire at the restaurant of the Park Palace Hotel. Afghan special forces ended the crisis by killing the three attackers and rescuing hostages, including a wounded American woman, CNN reports. The guesthouse lies in a central neighborhood that is home to UN compounds and a hospital. No one has claimed responsibility, but the Taliban's spring offensive began nationwide just last month, notes Al Jazeera. (More Afghanistan stories.)