By Sacha McNeil
Two Kiwi special operations soldiers have been injured by Taliban insurgents as they helped to battle for control of a hotel in Kabul.
The attack comes on the eve of a conference about transferring responsibility for security from foreign forces to local police.
The 200 room Intercontinental Hotel sits on a hill above Kabul. It was attacked by an unknown number of Taliban insurgents, who detonated bombs and small arms fire once inside. At least 10 Afghan civilians were killed in the night-time attack.
The Kiwi SAS are responsible for security in Kabul, and from India tonight the Prime Minster confirmed our troops were heavily involved.
The SAS mentor and train local Afghan security forces and were on site to observe the Afghan response. They were forced to step in though, after their charges began to lose control of the situation. They effectively turned the tide of the fight.
Key says there were just 'a handful' of our SAS involved but he confirmed Corporal Willie Apiata, who was decorated for bravery under fire in Afghanistan was not among them.
The fight for control of the hotel took more than four hours.
The family of the two wounded SAS soldiers have been informed and an uneasy calm has returned to Kabul.
3 News