An Afghan army officer keeps watch at the entrance to the hotel. (Gemunu Amarasinghe / Associated Press)
An Afghan police officer mans an intersection where vehicles were stopped before heading in the direction of the besieged hotel. (Gemunu Amarasinghe / Associated Press)
Foreign soldiers leave the hotel after taking part in the military operation against the militants. The apparent need for Western intervention to end the siege rattled Afghans. (Pedro Ugarte / AFP/Getty Images)
