Four terrorists attempted to attack the Indian consulate in Afghanistan's Jalalabad city Wednesday, but were killed by security forces.
While a suicide bomber detonated explosives outside the compound of the Indian mission, other terrorists were engaged in a gun battle with Afghan forces and the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) forces guarding the consulate.
"Their target was the Indian consulate, but our forces shot and killed them all before they reached their target," Attahullah Khugyani, a spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province, told Reuters.
The Indian External Affairs Ministry said the Indian staff at the consulate were all safe. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
Updates so far:
UPDATE: 14:41 p.m. ISt: "All Indians in the mission are safe," the External Affairs Ministry said, according to the Press Trust of India. One local staff sustained injuries, the ministry said.
UPDATE: 14:32 p.m. IST: All four attackers at the Indian consulate have been killed, reports said.
UPDATE: 14: 25 p.m. IST: 14 people have been injured in the attack in Jalalabad, according to Afghanistan's Tolo News.
UPDATE: 14:16 p.m. IST: One of the attackers has been gunned down, Afghan media reports. According to reports, at least four terrorists were involved in the attack, of which two were suicide bombers.
UPDATE 14:06 p.m. IST: Two terrorists are believed to be holed up in a guesthouse near the Indian consulate.
UPDATE 14:04 p.m. IST: At least ten people have been injured the terror attack in Jalababad, reports said.
UPDATE: 13:48 p.m. IST -- Afghan security forces and Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) forces guarding the consulate are reportedly engaged in a gunbattle with the terrorists.
Original story:
Bomb blasts and gunfire were heard near the Indian consulate in Afghanistan's Jalalabad city Wednesday. There has been no report of casualties yet.
The Indian consulate staff were safe as the explosion took place outside the consulate gate, ANI news agency reports. However, some reports suggested that a grenade was thrown inside the compound. A suicide bomber is said to have attacked the Indian consulate.
This is the latest such attack in the last two months to target the consular area in the Afghan city that houses consulate buildings of Pakistan and Iran as well as the house of Pakistan's Consul General.
Last month, a terror attack had taken place near the Indian consulate in Jalalabad, targeted at the Pakistani consulate. The Islamic State group had claimed responsibility for the attack.
Early January, the Indian consulate in Afghanistan's Mazar-i-Sharif city was also attacked, with the Afghan Police reportedly blaming the attack on Pakistan military personnel.
