Militants are "enjoying the killing of innocent people" and "such incidents will not stop us from transitioning security of our country,” Karzai said, the Associated Press reports. Afghan Security Forces responded to the attack on Tuesday night, working their way up to the roof to battle the remaining militants for hours. NATO helicopters then fired rockets at the gunmen on the rooftop at about 3 a.m., killing three fighters.
The sensationalist attack was one of the most complex in Kabul in recent years. Eight heavily armed militants -- some with with machine-guns, anti-aircraft weapons, and rocket-propelled grenades -- broke through several layers of the hotel’s security to kill 11 civilians. All eight were killed by Afghan or coalition forces, or had blown themselves up.