KABUL - The reaction in Kabul to the attack on the lakeside hotel outside the city showed a growing perception that the Taliban was weakening, according to commentators.
At least 20 people were killed during a large-scale insurgent attack on the Lake Qargha hotel launched late Thursday night which continued until midday Friday.

Seven Taliban militants equipped with suicide vests and rifles stormed the hotel Spoghmai on one of its busiest nights, and indiscriminately killed hotel patrons while the group's spokesman released a statement that the attack was because of the immorality going on there.

Social activists rejected the Taliban's reasoning, saying instead it was an deed without any justification and showed a level of weakness for choosing such a target.
"This was an inhumane act and showed the Taliban's weakness against Afghan security forces. This was also against international human rights laws," activist Mir Ahmad Joyenda told Tolonews.

The attack was also severely condemned by human rights groups who labeled it a crime against humanity.
"That was the worst act against civilians and could be considered as a crime against humanity as the investigations showed," Afghan Independent Human Rights Chief Musa Mahmoodi said.

The attack was also condemned by the ISAF commander, General John Allen saying that Haqqani network are using their safe havens in Pakistan to target afghan civilians.

According to the Afghan Ministry of Interior (MOI), police had security checkpoints on roads to Qargha to prevent the threats which had been previously made, but these did not suffice.

"Qargha is huge place. The Afghan National Police had formed checkpoints in order to strengthen security in the area, but despite that, the Taliban could infiltrate and preferred the soft target of a civilian place rather than a military base," MOI spokesman Sediq Sediqi said. (Tolo News)