GUNMEN stormed the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, killing four Afghans and 14 foreigners.

A 12-hour gunbattle with security forces continued yesterday morning as guests tried to escape from fourth and fifth-floor windows.

Six other people, including three from the security forces, were reported wounded and more than 150 people, including 41 foreigners, have been rescued from the hotel, said Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish.

The bodies of three attackers were recovered as security forces continued to clear the landmark building, he said.

“The security forces are going room-by-room to make sure that there are no more attackers in the building,” Danish added.

The Intercontinental Hotel is located on a hilltop in the Bagh-e Bala area of the capital and is heavily guarded because it hosts both Afghan and foreign guests as well as official conferences.

Last night’s attack unfolded almost six years after Taliban insurgents launched a similar assault.

The property is not part of the InterContinental chain of worldwide hotels.

The Interior Ministry said a private firm took responsibility for securing the hotel three weeks ago.

It is investigating how the attackers entered the building. No one has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.