India reviews security of diplomatic missions in Afghanistan

India is beefing up security of its diplomatic missions in Afghanistan to pre-empt any attack by terror organisations based in Pakistan.

In view of the attack on Hotel Intercontinental in Kabul as well as the recent spurt in terror strikes in Afghanistan, New Delhi is reviewing security  at the Embassy of India in the capital as well as consulates at Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif and Jalalabad in the war-torn country.

New Delhi is likely to send its officials from security agencies to Kabul to meet their counterparts in the Afghan government and discuss ways to step up security  at India's diplomatic and consular missions, sources told the DH.

At least 18 people were killed in the terror attack on Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul on Saturday and Sunday.

Officials of the Afghan government were quoted in media reports saying that the Haqqani Network carried out the terror attack.

The Haqqani Network is a terror organisation, which is based in Pakistan but carries out attacks in Afghanistan.

It was involved in several terror attacks on Indian and American diplomatic missions in Afghanistan in the past few years.

The US and India have since long been accusing Pakistan, its army and its spy agency -  Inter-Services Intelligence - of using the Haqqani Network and other terror organisations to carry out attacks in Afghanistan in its pursuit of strategic depth in its western neighbourhood.

On January 15, a rocket landed in the premises of Embassy of India in Kabul. Though no one was injured, the rocket caused minor damage to a structure on the rear side of the embassy compound.

Sources said security agencies in New Delhi and Kabul are in touch to beef up security  at Indian establishments in Afghanistan.