Updated at 7:27 p.m. ET
Five people, including an American, are confirmed dead and at least five others wounded in Kabul after an attack by gunmen on a guesthouse popular with foreigners in the Afghan capital. India's ambassador to Kabul said "a few Indian casualties" were among the victims.
The information about the American victim came from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, news organizations said. No other details were provided.
The Associated Press, citing Afghan police, reported that the siege at the guesthouse was over with five dead, six wounded and 54 people rescued. Reuters, quoting Kabul Police Chief Abdul Rahman Rahimi, put the toll at five dead and five wounded. One of the attackers was shot dead, he said, according to Reuters.
Reuters reports:
"Authorities cordoned off the area around the Park Palace guest house in Kabul's Kolola Pushta area immediately after the attack began around 8:30 p.m. local time. The attack ended about five hours later as ambulances raced out of the area."
The AP said it was unclear how many people were inside at the time of the attack. The neighborhood is home to U.N. compounds and a foreign-run hospital, the news agency reported. The AP adds: "Amin Habi, a U.S. citizen from Los Angeles, told The Associated Press that a party was going on at the hotel to honor a Canadian when the gunmen stormed the guesthouse."
No one immediately claimed responsibility.
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