He claimed that at the time of the shooting, Karzai was out of the sight of the attackers, whose view was blocked by a wall.

All three assailants died inside the hotel room - one from a gunshot wound and two others possibly killing themselves, Saleh said.

The attack in the Afghan capital underscored the fragile grip of Karzai's government in the face of Taliban insurgents and raised questions about its demand for Afghan police and army to take greater control of security. US and NATO-led troops provide security in much of the country now.

"Tragically, the attackers succeeded in getting close enough to fire some shots," William Wood, the US ambassador in Afghanistan, said in a statement yesterday.

It took authorities two minutes to defeat the attack, Wood said.

The attack has added to unease in Kabul, which has been spared the worst of the violence as fighting has escalated between the Taliban and international troops.

A suicide attack in the volatile east of the country yesterday killed 16 people, including 12 police, and wounded 41 other people, said Abdul Mohammad, a provincial police official.

(China Daily via agencies April 30, 2008)