Indian consulate in Af attacked

The Consulate General of India at Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan came under a terror attack late in the evening on Sunday.

None of the Indians working at and living within the Consulate General of India were injured in the attack, which went on for about 20 minutes. The personnel of Afghan National Security Force repelled the attack, which was carried out by at least four terrorists. Two of the terrorists were gunned down by the security personnel, according to the latest report.

The attack on the Consulate General of India in northern Afghanistan came close on the heels of the terror strike on IAF base at Pathankot in Punjab.

Consul General of India, Brajabashi Sarkar, told a TV channel over phone from Mazar-e-Sharif that the terrorists opened fire at the consulate apparently from a nearby building and the firing continued for nearly 20 minutes.

Though the identity of the terrorists is yet to be ascertained, officials in New Delhi suspect that “state or non-state actors” of Pakistan might have a role in orchestrating the attack.

Pakistan-based Haqqani Network and Lashkar-e-Toiba earlier carried out attacks on Indian missions in Afghanistan, including the India’s embassy in Kabul, its consulates in Jalalabad and Herat. The US had in 2011 publicly blamed the Haqqani Network for attacks on the Indian embassy in Kabul and stated that the terror group had acted “as a veritable arm” of the ISI of Pakistan.

At least 14 people, including four Indians, were killed, when the terrorists attacked the Park Palace guesthouse in Kabul on May 13 last year.