Officials at Ministry of Interior Affairs (MoI) said that after a 12-hour stand-off against insurgents, security forces were finally able to sweep most areas of the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul.
However reporters in the area said that gunshots and explosives were once again heard.
Najib Danish, spokesman for MoI, however, said the siege had ended and security forces were conducting a clearance operation.
Five people, including head of Farah telecommunication department, Jamaluddin Padshahkhil, and one foreigner, were killed and six injured in the siege.
This comes as in June 2011, nine insurgents carried out a similar attack that lasted for five hours and resulted in the death of 12 people.
Follow TKG on Twitter & Facebook
