Indian Embassy attack: Defence Attache, 40 others killed

Zeenews Bureau Kabul, July 07: A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden car into the gates of the Indian Embassy in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on Monday, killing at least 41 people and wounding 141 others. Four Indian nationals – a Defence Attache in the rank of Brigadier, an Indian Foreign Service officer and two paramilitary troopers guarding the Embassy – were killed in the suicide attack. The Indian Ambassador and other senior officials were not harmed, officials said. Among the other dead were Afghan civilians waiting to collect visas. Jayan Prasad, the Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan, confirmed that four Indians had been killed in the attack. "Yes, I can confirm that," Prasad said. "Our information says two personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police have been killed in the attack," an official said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, one of the deadliest since the Taliban insurgency began. The Afghan Interior Ministry confirmed only that the explosion had been caused by a car bomb. "Initial reports indicate that about 41 people, mostly civilians who had come here for visas, have been killed," Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Nikzad told reporters near the scene. The blast destroyed about four cars outside the Embassy in the heart of the city, and flesh and broken limbs were scattered at the scene, an afghan witness said. The bomber hit the thick Embassy gate, he said. "It was a suicide car bomb in front of the Indian Embassy," Interior Ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary said. The Indian Ambassador and his deputy were not inside the Embassy at the time of the blast, Afghan officials said. The bomb that went off in a car just after 8:30 am sent plumes of brown smoke into the air and was heard across the central city. It shattered the windows of shops several hundred metres away, an eyewitness said. Police immediately sealed off the scene and kept people away as ambulance crews carried away several wounded. US troops were also at the scene. Embassy officials said it was an emergency situation for them. Eighty percent of the Embassy system has been shut down, they added. "The Embassy has been attacked," an official said. "We are walking on rubble. The Embassy has been blown up badly," he added Afghan Foreign Minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta visited the Embassy soon after the attack to show support, his spokesman Sultan Ahmad Baheen said. "The enemies of Afghanistan and India's relationship cannot hamper our relationship by conducting such attacks," Baheen said. External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee held an emergency meeting with Defence Minister A K Antony, Defence Secretary and MEA officials to review the situation following the deadly attack. Taliban insurgents have vowed to step up their campaign of suicide bombings this year to overthrow the pro-Western Afghan government and drive out foreign forces. The Indian Embassy is directly opposite the Interior Ministry, but the bomber struck the embassy side of the street where dozens of people were waiting in line for visas. India has close relations with the Afghan government and is funding a number of large infrastructure projects to restore order after the ouster of the Islamic extremist Taliban movement, which seized power in 1996 until they were pushed out.

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India should send its army to support the pro-India regime in Afghanistan. If we are helping in the reconstruction of the country, we should ensure that a reconstructed Afghanistan does not turn out to be an anti-India bastion. Otherwise we should pull out all our construction workers and leave Afghanistan to its fate. - K.Venugopal - Mumbai

Shadow War: the untold story of Jihad in Kashmir ===================================== Is it a religion? 1. Most uncivilized community, always ready to fight(Whole world Islamic terrorism affected). 2. Most unreliable(Remember Kargil), You cant believe even doctors,engineers and proffesors(Sabeel, Kafeel, prof gilani). 3. Most uneducated community(Pakistan is most educated muslim country, you can imagine others....). 4. Most backward community(Only few muslim country are Ok just because of natural oil, where no brain is required). 5. Most intolerent, no muslim is allowed to abuse islam(See Taslima Nasreen) 6. Jehad...jewel of this religion(no need to explain). 7. Population like cockroaches(21% of world population). 8. Religious places(madarsas, mosques) are used to hide terrorists, weapons.(Lal masjid just one for examples). 9. Religious people (kaji, moulvi, imam) teach violence and hatred. Guess which drama not a religion is this? - TI - Panipat