Afghanistan: Deadly Attack on Hotel Popular with Chinese Nationals

Facts

• On Monday, Afghan Taliban security forces killed at least three gunmen after they attacked a hotel in Kabul. The hotel is popular with Chinese nationals and, while no foreigners were reported killed, two were injured while trying to escape by jumping from the hotel balcony.
• Taliban sources said the attack was carried out at Longan Hotel. Kabul's Emergency Hospital, which is run by an Italian non-profit organization, said it received 21 casualties, including 18 injured and three who were dead on arrival.
• Kabul police said a loud blast occurred followed by gunfire at a guesthouse used predominantly by Chinese nationals. Social media footage showed smoke leaving a lower-floor window and men escaping from another.
• Amid several attacks in Afghanistan in recent months — including on the Pakistani embassy earlier this month and a suicide blast near the Russian embassy in September — this incident came a day after China's ambassador met the Afghan deputy foreign minister to discuss security issues.
• No group immediately claimed responsibility. The regional Khorasan Province affiliate of the Islamic State group — a Taliban rival — has increased its attacks since the Taliban took back control of the country.
• China, which shares a 47-mile (76-km) border with Afghanistan, has yet to recognize the Taliban government but is one of the few countries that maintains a diplomatic presence with the regime. The PRC embassy said it's closely monitoring the situation.

Sources: Al Jazeera, New York Post, CBS, Reuters, and PBS NewsHour.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Warsaw Institute. This latest attack is another example of the failed US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Islamic State group was virtually eradicated before the US's botched retreat last year, and now its Khorasan affiliate is back in the game attacking diplomatic buildings and killing civilians. This attack on Chinese nationals may prompt Beijing to take on a more constructive role to clean up the mess left behind by Washington.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by National News. Beyond its empty promises to build a more inclusive government, the Taliban has failed to back up its pledge to prevent Islamic State group terror attacks on its soil. Even with billions of dollars worth of weapons and equipment, the new Afghan Taliban government has yet to set up a functional army, which is key to combatting this threat.