(30 Jun 2011)
1. Wide of highway and Kabul Intercontinental Hotel in distance
2. Various of hotel exterior
3. Various of newspapers with headlines about attack on hotel
4. Close-up of newspaper headline reading (English) "Officials say terrorists failed to besiege Inter-Continental hotel"
5. Various of people reading newspapers
6. Wide of exterior of newspaper stand
7. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Vox pop, Ahmad Mirwais, Shopkeeper:
On the night of the attack I was just a few kilometres from the hotel. It was a very scary night, and I left the area. I ask the government to prevent suicide attacks from happening, so that innocent people are not killed any more."
8. Various of police checkpoint
9. Various of police searching local man
10. SOUNDBITE (Dari) Vox pop, Ahmad Farhad, University student:
"Last night we witnessed the attack on the Intercontinental hotel when a number of suicide attackers entered the hotel, which caused big damage to the hotel. Now we see our security forces trying to provide us more security, we feel very happy."
11. Various of checkpoint
STORYLINE:
Security was stepped up on Thursday near the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, which was attacked on Tuesday night by suicide bombers.
A total of 20 people were killed in the siege, which ended on Wednesday - including nine attackers, all of whom wore suicide-bomber vests.
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The Intercontinental is one of the most heavily guarded hotels in Kabul where foreign tourists and high-ranking Afghan government officials usually stay.
While the government claims to have the ability to handle security responsibilities which are due to be taken over by Afghan security forces from international ISAF troops during the month of July, people are still asking the government to do more.
"On the night of the attack I was just a few kilometres from the hotel. It was a very scary night, and I left the area. I ask the government to prevent suicide attacks from happening, so that innocent people are not killed any more," said shopkeeper Ahmad Mirwais.
Security has been tightened up in the city and police are searching many vehicles and individuals.
On Thursday a NATO airstrike killed a militant with the al-Qaida-affiliated Haqqani network who was suspected of having aided the gunmen who attacked the hotel .
The U.S.-led coalition said Ismail Jan and several Haqqani fighters were killed Wednesday in a precision airstrike in Gardez, the provincial capital of Paktia province.
Tuedsay's hotel attack was one of the biggest and most complex attacks ever orchestrated in the Afghan capital and appeared designed to show that the insurgents are capable of striking even in the centre of power at a time when U.S. Officials are speaking of progress in the nearly 10-year war.
The brazen attack by militants with explosives, anti-aircraft weapons, guns and grenade launchers dampened hopes that a peace settlement can be reached with the Taliban and raised doubt that Afghan security forces are ready to take the lead from foreign forces in the nearly decade-long war.
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