Pakistan involved in Kabul hotel attack, claims Afghanistan's spy agency

Afghan spy agency, the National Directorate of Security, has pointed fingers at Pakistan for the Kabul Hotel attack that claimed 22 lives.

According to the spy agency, explosives packed in a vehicle used by the Taliban fighters who attacked the Intercontinental Hotel over the weekend came from Pakistan.

“The explosive materials seized in the vehicle shows that the material is made in Pakistan,” the NDS said in a statement, according to Tolo News. The explosive chemicals were reportedly produced at a private company based in Islamabad.

Pakistan has been under tremendous pressure to weed out insurgents from its soil, and earlier this month, the US suspended $2 billion in military aid, accusing the country of giving sanctuary to insurgents.  On Tuesday, condemning the attack on Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, the US once again asked Pakistan to expel Taliban terrorists from its soil.

“We call on Pakistan to immediately arrest or expel the Taliban’s leaders and prevent the group from using Pakistani territory to support its operations,” White House spokesperson Sarah Sanders said. “In Afghanistan, where terrorists attacked the hotel in Kabul, such attacks on civilians only strengthen our resolve to support our Afghan partners,” she added.

Pakistan has vehemently denied its involvement in the attack.

Taking to microblogging site Twitter, Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mohammad Faisal wrote: “We reject the knee jerk allegations by some Afghan circles to point the finger at Pakistan for the terrorist attack on intercontinental hotel in Kabul. There is need for a credible investigation into the attack, including on reported security lapses.”

According to reports, more than 150 people, including 41 foreigners, were rescued or managed to escape when Taliban insurgents took hold of the Intercontinental Hotel. The hotel was under siege for more than 13 hours, and the Taliban reportedly went from room to room looking for foreigners.

Afghanistan’s interior ministry is currently investigating how the attackers got into the building so easily.