<p>Terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba is behind the attack on the Indian Consulate in Herat, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai said today.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"According to information given to us by a Western intelligence agency, the perpetrators of the Herat attack belonged to the LeT. This was mentioned in writing in the report shared with us," he said.<br /><br />President Karzai is in India to participate in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony.<br />He complimented the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel and the Afghan National Security Forces for their prompt response in neutralising the terrorists.<br /><br />"Herat (incident) was very clearly a terrorist strike on Indian and Afghan interests. Luckily, the Indian and Afghan security forces were alert and they prevented major damage to life and property," he told Headlines Today.<br /><br />In response to a query on India and Afghanistan being victims of Pakistan-sponsored terror, President Karzai said "both Afghanistan and India hope that relevant authorities in Pakistan will react and uproot the source and sanctuary of terror in Pakistan".<br /><br />A press release issued by Headlines Today quoted Karzai as saying that India has been a great friend of Afghanistan and has stood by the people of Afghanistan in the past 12 years.<br /><br />"We have given a weapons wish list to the Government of India, some have been accepted and delivered and we are confident Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi will consider it favourably," he said.<br />Karzai said the 2014 drawdown of US-led international troops from Afghanistan is not a threat but an opportunity.<br /><br />"2014 for us is an opportunity and a great one to build on our strengths and show to the world that the nation is now self-reliant of course with the help, support and guidance of friends like India", Karzai said.<br /><br />He discounted fears that post drawdown, Pakistan could once again install a puppet Taliban government in Kabul for gaining strategic depth.<br /><br />"That fear is completely unfounded but all powers in the region need to come together and repel and defeat the forces of terror," he said</p>
<p>Terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba is behind the attack on the Indian Consulate in Herat, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai said today.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"According to information given to us by a Western intelligence agency, the perpetrators of the Herat attack belonged to the LeT. This was mentioned in writing in the report shared with us," he said.<br /><br />President Karzai is in India to participate in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony.<br />He complimented the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel and the Afghan National Security Forces for their prompt response in neutralising the terrorists.<br /><br />"Herat (incident) was very clearly a terrorist strike on Indian and Afghan interests. Luckily, the Indian and Afghan security forces were alert and they prevented major damage to life and property," he told Headlines Today.<br /><br />In response to a query on India and Afghanistan being victims of Pakistan-sponsored terror, President Karzai said "both Afghanistan and India hope that relevant authorities in Pakistan will react and uproot the source and sanctuary of terror in Pakistan".<br /><br />A press release issued by Headlines Today quoted Karzai as saying that India has been a great friend of Afghanistan and has stood by the people of Afghanistan in the past 12 years.<br /><br />"We have given a weapons wish list to the Government of India, some have been accepted and delivered and we are confident Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi will consider it favourably," he said.<br />Karzai said the 2014 drawdown of US-led international troops from Afghanistan is not a threat but an opportunity.<br /><br />"2014 for us is an opportunity and a great one to build on our strengths and show to the world that the nation is now self-reliant of course with the help, support and guidance of friends like India", Karzai said.<br /><br />He discounted fears that post drawdown, Pakistan could once again install a puppet Taliban government in Kabul for gaining strategic depth.<br /><br />"That fear is completely unfounded but all powers in the region need to come together and repel and defeat the forces of terror," he said</p>