Updated
Kabul/New Delhi, May 23 (PTI): Gunmen armed with heavy weapons including rocket propelled grenades on Friday attacked the Indian Consulate in Afghanistan's Herat province during which three attackers were killed, top Indian officials said.
However, TV reports further claimed that the fourth gunman has also been killed by the security forces.
All the diplomatic staff were safe. Three gunmen were killed, one by ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) and two by Afghan police, out of four attackers who struck the Consulate which houses two buildings, Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Amar Sinha said.
PM-designate Narendra Modi spoke to Amar Sinha and assured all help. According to TV reports, Afghan President Hamid Karzai will call Modi later to brief him about the attack.
I condemn the attack on our consulate in Herat, Afghanistan. Closely monitoring the situation. I have spoken to the Ambassador as well.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 23, 2014
In a pre-dawn assault, the gunmen attacked the building which houses the residence of Consulate General, Sinha said, adding that there were nine Indians in the mission apart from local Afghans.
One attacker was killed while climbing the wall to enter the premises of the consulate, Sinha said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said, "India's Consulate in Herat, Afghanistan attacked. Brave ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) personnel and Afghan soldiers rebut attackers. All are safe."
The spokesperson said that operation is underway. "India-Afghanistan officials (were) in touch on attack on India's Consulate in Herat. Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh (was) monitoring (the) situation," the official said.
Afghan police officials earlier said gunmen armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades opened fire on the consulate early this morning from a nearby home.'
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Afghanistan has experienced a rise in the Taliban attacks as foreign troops plan to withdraw from the war-torn country by the end of the year.
In August last year, a failed bombing against the Indian Consulate in Jalalabad city near the border with Pakistan killed nine people, including six children. No Indian officials were hurt.
The Indian Embassy in Kabul was attacked twice in 2008 and 2009 that left 75 people dead.
India has invested in some major infrastructure projects in Afghanistan like Salma hydroelectric dam in Herat province and the Afghan parliament building in Kabul.
India's development assistance programme for Afghanistan currently stands at USD two billion, making it the leading donor nation among all regional countries.
Comment on this article
Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai
Fri, May 23 2014Modi will not keep quite like our old puppet Manmohan Singh...
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Jossey Saldanha, Mumbai
Fri, May 23 201421 CANNON GUN SALUTE TO ....
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Tomas Richard, Udupi
Fri, May 23 2014Modi is attacked left , right and center, two of our soldiers are already killed, Why Modi is silent and busy preparing Biriyani for Kargil Sharif.. Congress should be vocal on Modis Pakistan policy.
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For Justice, Abu Dhabi / Ubar
Fri, May 23 2014Both Pakistan n Afghanistan population badly needs at least basic education on religious as well as academic.
They don't know what they are doing n they thinks everything correct from their side!
Big tragedy is that every wrong doings are in the name of religion!
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Joseph F. Gonsalves, Bannur, Puttur / Mangalore
Fri, May 23 2014This is the second India's Modified attack.
The papers disclosed, on pakistan border one Indian soldier died from Pakistani fire.
This is the second Modified attack on Indian Embassy.
BJP's are making Rajjo dance and eating sweets.
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Satish Kumar, mangalore
Fri, May 23 2014Moral boost for consulate staff. PM designate Narendra Modi spoke to Mr Amar Sinha
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Valerian Dsouza, Udupi / Mumbai
Fri, May 23 2014Series of attacks, previous one unprovoked attack in India Pakistan Border and this one again after some years in Afghanistan, both are of provocative nature.
These external forces seems can't digest the political stability in India.
Only political stability, good governance and peace within India and in the region can provide prosperity to India as well as in the region.
Let's see what's in store for us!
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