Gunmen attacked a popular guesthouse in Afghan capital Kabul on Wednesday night, sparking a gun fight with security forces.
The Park Palace Hotel is a favored venue for both locals and foreigners.
A police officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the police and military were engaged in a battle with at least four attackers.
“Obviously, there are foreign guests in the guesthouse,” the officer told Anadolu Agency.
Later in the evening, security forces stormed the property and sporadic gunfire could be heard. The Police Crisis Response Unit rescued around 16 people, including four women.
One rescued guest told an Anadolu Agency correspondent at the scene that there had been a function taking place when the guesthouse came under attack.
Roads around the city center guesthouse, located near the Dutch and EU diplomatic missions, were cordoned off by police and special forces.
There was no initial claim of responsibility for the assault although the Taliban, who launched their spring offensive last month, have previously targeted guesthouses in the capital.
Earlier on Wednesday, 12 people were killed in an attack on a government compound in the Lashkar Gah, the capital of the southern province of Helmand.
By Zabihullah Tamanna
