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While Afghans are still trying to recover from the shock of the Taliban raid on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul on Saturday, a number of survivors on Tuesday said that at least four attackers had stormed the building while others had already been positioned inside. 
 
Footage received by TOLOnews from inside the hotel shows that the attackers had used explosives to blow open hotel room doors and then sprayed the rooms with bullets – killing and wounding the people inside. 
 
Footage also shows that some parts of the hotel were badly damaged by the fires that broke out. Survivors also said money and mobile phones that they had in their rooms had gone missing after the attack.  

Security forces are however still not allowing the media to enter the hotel and only survivors have been able to get in to retrieve their possessions.

TOLOnews reporter Anisa Shaheed, who visited the premises on Tuesday, said visitors had to go through several check points and scanners to get into the hotel and that everyone is searched. 
 
But survivors say the scanners were not working in the lead up to the attack.  
 
Security forces are however still not allowing the media to enter the hotel and only survivors have been able to get in to retrieve their possessions.  
 
From the outside, one can clearly see that extensive fire damage was caused to parts of the fifth and sixth floors of the hotel, while downstairs, in the hotel’s restaurant, everything is a mess.  
 
An Afghan lawmaker who lived in the hotel for several years, says insurgents blew open the bullet proof door of his room. However, he had not been in his room at the time of the attack.  
 
“It is very suspicious for me, my room’s door was bulletproof, they (insurgents) placed explosives there; how did terrorists know that I lived in room number 302; this raises questions for me,” said MP Assadullah Sharifi. 
 
One survivor, Massoud, managed to escape during the attack but described a scene of horror. 
 
“When we came down, we saw each Taliban attacker wearing bags full of hand grenades and pistols and bullets, I don’t understand how they managed to bring such huge amounts of bullets inside the hotel,” said Massoud. 
 
But Massoud’s friend Saeed Yusufzai, who tried to save himself by escaping over a balcony using sheets, fell to his death. Yusufzai’s family, who live in Holland, have arrived in Kabul to retrieve his possessions and remains.  
 
“It is surprising that the enemy got through all the security check points and made their way inside the hotel and committed such an act,” said Abdul Rab, Yusufzai’s brother.  
 
Another survivor said: “I saw four attackers coming towards the main entrance of the hotel’s lobby,” said one eyewitness. 
 
Broken windows, bloody curtains and blackened walls of the hotel are testimony to the horrors of Saturday’s attack. 

Broken windows, bloody curtains and blackened walls of the hotel are testimony to the horrors of Saturday’s attack.

The Afghan government is however still reluctant to reveal details on how the insurgents managed to infiltrate the hotel. Government has also not released the actual casualty toll – despite having dispatched and investigative team to probe the attack.   
 
Survivors say Taliban fighters had brought in the weapons when they stormed the building, while the others positioned inside had already been armed.  
 
Hotel management has refused to comment.

An Afghan lawmaker has raised questions about how insurgents knew which room he lived in after they blew open his door.  

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While Afghans are still trying to recover from the shock of the Taliban raid on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul on Saturday, a number of survivors on Tuesday said that at least four attackers had stormed the building while others had already been positioned inside. 
 
Footage received by TOLOnews from inside the hotel shows that the attackers had used explosives to blow open hotel room doors and then sprayed the rooms with bullets – killing and wounding the people inside. 
 
Footage also shows that some parts of the hotel were badly damaged by the fires that broke out. Survivors also said money and mobile phones that they had in their rooms had gone missing after the attack.  

Security forces are however still not allowing the media to enter the hotel and only survivors have been able to get in to retrieve their possessions.

TOLOnews reporter Anisa Shaheed, who visited the premises on Tuesday, said visitors had to go through several check points and scanners to get into the hotel and that everyone is searched. 
 
But survivors say the scanners were not working in the lead up to the attack.  
 
Security forces are however still not allowing the media to enter the hotel and only survivors have been able to get in to retrieve their possessions.  
 
From the outside, one can clearly see that extensive fire damage was caused to parts of the fifth and sixth floors of the hotel, while downstairs, in the hotel’s restaurant, everything is a mess.  
 
An Afghan lawmaker who lived in the hotel for several years, says insurgents blew open the bullet proof door of his room. However, he had not been in his room at the time of the attack.  
 
“It is very suspicious for me, my room’s door was bulletproof, they (insurgents) placed explosives there; how did terrorists know that I lived in room number 302; this raises questions for me,” said MP Assadullah Sharifi. 
 
One survivor, Massoud, managed to escape during the attack but described a scene of horror. 
 
“When we came down, we saw each Taliban attacker wearing bags full of hand grenades and pistols and bullets, I don’t understand how they managed to bring such huge amounts of bullets inside the hotel,” said Massoud. 
 
But Massoud’s friend Saeed Yusufzai, who tried to save himself by escaping over a balcony using sheets, fell to his death. Yusufzai’s family, who live in Holland, have arrived in Kabul to retrieve his possessions and remains.  
 
“It is surprising that the enemy got through all the security check points and made their way inside the hotel and committed such an act,” said Abdul Rab, Yusufzai’s brother.  
 
Another survivor said: “I saw four attackers coming towards the main entrance of the hotel’s lobby,” said one eyewitness. 
 
Broken windows, bloody curtains and blackened walls of the hotel are testimony to the horrors of Saturday’s attack. 

Broken windows, bloody curtains and blackened walls of the hotel are testimony to the horrors of Saturday’s attack.

The Afghan government is however still reluctant to reveal details on how the insurgents managed to infiltrate the hotel. Government has also not released the actual casualty toll – despite having dispatched and investigative team to probe the attack.   
 
Survivors say Taliban fighters had brought in the weapons when they stormed the building, while the others positioned inside had already been armed.  
 
Hotel management has refused to comment.

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