Gunmen open fire at guests at five-star hotel in Kabul

At least one person is dead after four gunmen stormed a hotel in Kabul, opening fire on guests.

Several people have reportedly been taken hostage during the attack at the Intercontinental Hotel on Saturday (29 January).

An Afghanistan security official said the incident, which began at around 9pm local time (4:30pm GMT) is ongoing, as guests are reported to be hiding from the gunmen in their rooms.

"They are shooting at guests", said the official.

The gunmen are believed to be armed with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades.

Security forces have accessed the building and have killed one of the attackers, interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told the BBC.

While officers have cleared the first floor of the five star hotel, the attackers have accessed the floors above. There are also reports of a fire in the hotel kitchen and on the fourth floor.

A guest at the hotel told AFP that people were hiding in their rooms and feared for their lives.

"I don't know if the attackers are inside the hotel but I can hear gunfire from somewhere near the first floor," the guest said. "We are hiding in our rooms. I beg the security forces to rescue us as soon as possible before they reach and kill us."

The hotel, which had been hosting an IT conference at the time of the attack, is popular with foreign tourists and diplomats.

The hotel was previously attacked by nine Taliban fighters in 2011, when 21 people were killed.