Taliban truck bomb hits Northgate hotel in Kabul

A Taliban truck bomb has struck a heavily guarded hotel for foreigners in the Afghan capital, just days after the deadliest attack in Kabul for 15 years.
At least one policeman was killed in the early Monday bombing which targeted the Northgate hotel, a busy compound for foreign contractors close to Kabul’s international airport.
TOLO News, Afghanistan’s first 24-hour broadcaster, said all staff and guests at the hotel were accounted for and unharmed.
It said the attack and ensuing operation was over and that three Taliban fighters were killed. One died in the explosion and two others were shot dead.
Tremors from the massive truck bombing, which was preceded by a power outage, were felt across the city.
A statement from the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which it said had caused dozens of casualties and added its fighters had entered the compound.
Northgate, close to the US-run Bagram air base north of Kabul, is a heavily guarded compound with blast walls and watchtowers.
Foreign guesthouses have been a regular target of insurgent attacks since the Taliban began their war to topple the Kabul government.
The attack comes after twin bombings left 80 people dead in the Afghan capital on July 23, in the deadliest attack in the city since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001.

Source: Al Jazeera