The Wire

Last night local time Taliban suicide bombers and gunmen hit the Intercontinental hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan, killing at least 10 people. Two of the insurgents were subsequently killed by hotel guards and four others either blew themselves up or were killed in a NATO airstrike. Afghan officials say at least another eight people have been wounded. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the rare night-time attack in the capital, which comes in the wake of the US announcement they will begin withdrawing troops from the war-torn country next month. Jay Cameron works for an NGO in Kabul. He says having gunmen and suicide bombers together is the standard pattern in these attacks.