American, four others dead as siege ends at Kabul hotel

Jim Michaels | USA TODAY

A deadly siege at a guesthouse in Kabul ended with five people dead, including an American, and six wounded, officials said.

The 54 hostages were rescued, the Associated Press reported.

Kabul Police Chief Abdul Rahman said early Thursday that the attack began at 8:30 p.m. local time Wednesday, when gunmen opened fire at the restaurant of the Park Palace Hotel in the Afghan capital.

He did not provide the nationalities of the victims or any other details. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul said one American was killed in the attack, but did not release the victim's name.

Gunmen stormed the guesthouse as it hosted a party for foreigners in a central neighborhood that is home to United Nations compounds and a hospital.

Amin Habi, a U.S. citizen from Los Angeles, told the AP that a party was going on at the hotel to honor a Canadian when the gunmen stormed the guesthouse.

The State Department said the U.S. Embassy in Kabul is working closely with Afghan authorities, but could not provide any other information.

Security in Kabul has declined recently, as U.S. and other foreign forces have reduced their presence in the country.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, though the Taliban have attacked guesthouses before in Kabul.