Gunshots were clearly heard again from inside the Intercontinental Hotel which came under Taliban militants attack late June 28 and early June 29.

Afghan Interior Minister Bismillah Mohammadi told reporters earlier the fight between militants and police finished in which six attackers were killed and two policemen sustained injuries.

The over night attack started at around 10:00 p.m. local time on June 28 when some armed men stormed the Intercontinental Hotel with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. Exchange of fire between the militants and police lasted for hours till early June 29 morning.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesman, speaking to media by telephone from undisclosed locations, claimed responsibility for the attack, saying some Taliban fighters equipped with suicide vests and light arms stormed the Intercontinental Hotel and inflicted casualties to foreigners and Afghans there.

The Intercontinental Hotel is one of the fortified accommodations in Kabul frequented by foreigners and Afghan officials. Officials estimated that there were 60 to 70 guests staying at the hotel, which sits on a hill overlooking the capital.

US President Barack Obama announced last week a plan to withdraw some 10,000 US troops from Afghanistan this year and an additional 23,000 by the end of September 2012.