The Jalalabad’s (Afghanistan) Indian consulate was attacked by a group of heavily armed attackers on March 2, setting off explosions that killed two people and injured 19 more.
All Indians in the consulate are reported to be safe.
Ministry of External Affairs Spokesman, Vikas Swarup, said, “Our consulate has been targeted but everyone is safe.”
Blasts near Indian consulate in Jalalabad : ITBP and Afghan security forces are engaged in a gunbattle with terrorists
— ANI (@ANI_news) March 2, 2016
#Jalalabad Blast Visuals (Picture Source: Afghan Media) pic.twitter.com/dqkX62yoLV
— ANI (@ANI_news) March 2, 2016
Jalalabad Blast: It was a suicide explosion outside Indian consulate gate, all consulate staff safe. MEA gathering more info
— ANI (@ANI_news) March 2, 2016
According to media reports, one of the attackers blew himself up near the gate of the consulate.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which guards the consulate, and Afghan security forces exchanged fire with the terrorists before they were killed.
According to the witnesses, the explosion was so powerful that it shattered windows and doors in the nearby buildings and destroyed at least eight cars.
Indian mission in #Afghanistan‘s #Jalalabad attacked; a suicide bomber blows himself up: MEA (PTI) pic.twitter.com/w09jeTgNBv
— EconomicTimes (@EconomicTimes) March 2, 2016
No militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The attack comes nearly two months after a similar assault by insurgents on the Indian mission in Mazar-i-Sharif in Afghanistan.