Taliban gunmen attacked a popular lakeside hotel on the outskirts of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, on Thursday night and are holding several hostages, thought to include women and children.

According to a report in Al-Jazeera some people have been killed. The Taliban gunmen, some armed with rocket propelled grenades and heavy machine guns, attacked the hotel at Kabul's popular Qargha Lake recreation area during the night, triggering a gun battle in darkness, Afghan police told the network.