Govt orders maximum security for Missions in Afghanistan

The directive to ITBP to beef up security came after intelligence inputs suggesting that apart from the embassy in Kabul, consulates in Kandahar, Jalalabad, Mazar-e-Sharif and Herat, besides development and reconstruction projects being carried out by Indians could be targeted by Taliban or other terrorist groups based in Pakistan.

"The ITBP, which has been guarding Indian assets in Afghanistan, has been alerted twice in the past few weeks and asked to heighten security," a government official said.

The intelligence inputs suggested that terrorists could launch a wave of attacks, involving explosion of car-bomb followed by assault by gunmen, the officials said.

The Taliban launched a major attack in the centre of Kabul today, hitting NATO's coalition force headquarters next to the US embassy in the Afghan capital.

Nearly 200 ITBP personnel, who guard the embassy that has already been targeted twice since 2008, and Indian nationals working on developmental projects have been alerted about the possibility of the attacks.

The government has ordered "maximum security" for all of them, the official said. New Delhi has also requested Kabul to deploy adequate Afghan security personnel in the Indian missions as well as other assets.

The staff of the embassy and Indians working on developmental projects have been advised to exercise caution, restrict their movements to the minimum and maintain secrecy.

On February 26, 2010, two hotels in Kabul where Indians engaged in developmental and reconstruction works in that country were targeted by terrorists.

The terror strike was on the pattern of the 26/11 Mumbai attack, with six to eight terrorists targeting the hotels and hunting for victims during the assault in which two major-rank officers of the army were among the six Indians killed. Ten others, including five army officers, were also injured.

The attack was the fourth on Indian interests in Afghanistan since July 2008 when a car laden with 100 kg of explosives was blown up at the gate of Indian Embassy, killing 60 people, including four Indians — a Brigadier-rank officer, a senior IFS officer and two ITBP personnel.

In October, 2009, terrorists struck again at the embassy, carrying out a car bomb explosion near its outer wall and killing 17 people.

Subsequently, in December 2009, a hotel housing staff of an Indian IT company was targeted. Eight people were killed and two IT executives, an Indian cook and a cleaner were among those wounded.