Taliban Gunmen and a Suicide Bomber Storm a Guesthouse in Kabul

The Taliban have claimed responsibility for Friday's attack on a West Kabul guesthouse used by foreigners that reportedly killed one child and five militants. A standoff between gunmen and security forces lasted for four hours, and 20 people were rescued from the scene by authorities.

Residents of the Kartei Seh neighborhood initially reported hearing gunfire and loud explosions near the passport department late Friday afternoon.

Mohammad Ayoub Salangi, Afghan deputy interior minister for security, said four gunmen stormed the building after a suicide bomber detonated explosives as his car arrived at the gates of the residence. A security guard was also reportedly injured in the first blast.

A Crisis Response Unit was called and two of the attackers were reportedly gunned down within the first two hours of the operation.

Details frm — Ali M Latifi (@alibomaye)March 28, 2014

One child was killed and one adult wounded in today's Kabul attack, police.

— Mirwais Harooni (@MHarooni)March 28, 2014

Police sources said one Australian national managed to escape but that five more foreign nationals — three US citizens, one Malaysian, one Peruvian and one of undisclosed African nationality — were trapped inside the house.

At least 19 others, children among them, were evacuated from the nearby areas, including the embassy of Uzbekistan.

Residents in Kartei Seh continued to report ongoing heavy explosions, gunfire, and grenade blasts as the Afghan National Security Forces mounted an operation to free the people stuck inside.

Police doesn't allow journos and asks them to stand in safer location — Rafi (@Rafinism)March 28, 2014

The country manager for the Roots of Peace NGO told Reuters that their guesthouse was involved in the incident. "I can confirm it was attacked and that there are only four people [inside]," said Hajji Mohammad Sharif Osmani.

In a statement to the media, the Taliban claimed the building was being used as a church and proselytizing ground.

Roots of Peace told VICE News that they do not have any association with the neighboring Christian daycare.

The California-based NGO works to transform former mine-infested land into agriculturally rich vineyards and orchards. The USAID-supported organization first came to Afghanistan in 2003.

Hedayat Amin Arsala, presidential candidate, refuted initial reports that the building belonged to him as “misinformation.”

This is the third deadly incident in Afghanistan's capital in just over a week. On Tuesday, the Taliban also claimed responsibility for an attack on an election commission office in the Darulaman neighborhood, a few miles from the site of today’s attack.