Taliban attack on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul has come to an end after 16 hours siege, Afghan security forces said.

At least 18 people including 14 foreigners were killed and ten others were wounded in the attack, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) claimed.

A fire broke out at the hotel as the fighting raged, and the sound of explosions could be heard throughout the standoff.

According to witnesses, the attackers blasted their way into the hotel at 9 p.m. local time on Saturday night and set fire to the kitchen before taking up positions on the hotel’s fourth and fifth floors.

Ariananews Live TV footages showed people trying to escape through windows on the upper stories.

The security officials confirmed that 34 provincial officials were gathered at the hotel to participate in a conference organized by the Telecommunication Ministry.

Najib Danish, the spokesman of MoI noted that all of the four gunmen involved in the attack had been killed and more than 150 people, including 41 foreigners, were rescued from the hotel.

But the Taliban released a statement claiming responsibility and saying it was carried out by five assailants who have been armed with suicide vests targeted foreigners and Afghan officials.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the deployed five suicide bombers have been armed with hand grenades and AK-47 assault rifles.

Mujahid added the insurgents initially planned to attack the hotel Thursday night but postponed the assault because there was a wedding underway and they wanted to avoid civilian casualties.

In the meantime, MoI has promised an investigation into how the attackers breached security, which was handed to a private firm to take responsibility for the security of the hotel around three weeks ago.

On the other hand, local airline Kam Air said around 40 of its pilots and air crew, many of whom are foreigners, were staying in the hotel and as many as 10 had been killed.

But Zamari Kamgar, the airline’s deputy director said it was still trying to locate its staff and did not yet know whether they were all safe.

Saturday’s siege comes just days after the US embassy in Kabul issued a warning about hotels in the city.

“We are aware of reports that extremist groups may be planning an attack against hotels in Kabul,” the embassy wrote in a public security alert published Thursday, though it highlighted another hotel near the international airport as a possible target.

“These groups may also be targeting public gatherings/demonstrations, government facilities, transportation, markets, and places where foreigners are known to congregate.”

The Intercontinental was a playground for the city’s elite when it opened in 1969 and was last targeted in June 2011 when a suicide attack killed 21 people, including 10 civilians.