The assault on the heavily fortified Serena Hotel was the latest in a string of bold attacks by the insurgents seeking to spoil an presidential election on April 5, which would mark the first time in Afghanistan's history that one elected government hands power to another.
Four Taliban fighters snuck into the hotel early on Thursday evening and hid for three hours before storming into the restaurant and opening fire on people inside, according to interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi.
They then battled Afghan Special Forces for more than an hour inside the hotel before being overwhelmed, as terrified guests hid in rooms or fled to bunkers inside.
The foreign nationals killed were from Canada, India, New Zealand and Pakistan, the interior ministry said. The victims included four women, three men and two children.
All United Nations staff were accounted for, a UN agency official told Reuters on condition of anonymity as they were unauthorized to speak to the media.
At the time of the attack, some 18 UN staff were inside the hotel, where many of them stay, and is frequented by prominent Afghan politicians and visiting foreign officials.
Police are investigating how the gunmen got into te Serena. The hotel has dozens of armed guards patrolling its perimeter, and anyone entering is checked with metal detectors and body searched for weapons.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed responsibility for the attack and said the gunmen had targeted both Afghan foreign guests celebrating the eve of the Afghan New Year on Friday.
"Suicide bombers have entered the Serena Hotel, heavy battle is underway, enemies suffered heavy casualties," the Taliban spokesman said in a text message.
The Serena hotel has been attacked several times during the Taliban insurgency, but Thursday's assault was the most deadly. REUTERS