 |
|
||
PAK STAMP ON KABUL STRIKE: 17 killed As Taliban Target Indian Embassy In KabulBy ugeshji, Section Suicide Bombers
Afghans blame last year's perpetrators for second attack on Indian mission
 Suicide bomber detonates car carrying explosives near mission's outer wall The Indian embassy in Kabul became the target of a deadly terrorist attack for the second time in just over a year on Thursday. A suicide bomber blew up an explosives-laden car outside the mission building, killing at least 17 people and injuring 80. There was no Indian among the dead, although three personnel of the Indo- Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were injured. The Taliban later claimed responsibility for the attack. The Afghan foreign ministry hinted at Pakistan's involvement as well, but Islamabad denied the charge. The blast appeared similar in pattern to the one in July 2008, which American intelligence officials said Pakistan's spy agency -- the ISI -- had helped plan. India had also blamed the ISI for the 2008 attack, but refrained from pointing fingers on Thursday. The latest bombing took place a day after India pledged to continue to "invest and endure" in Afghanistan. The casualty included 15 civilians and two Afghan policemen. Most of the wounded were also civilians, said the Afghan interior ministry, which is located across the road from the blast site. The bombing occurred near the outer perimeter of the heavily-fortified embassy at about 8.30 am local time (9.30 am IST). The suicide bomber drove up in a car but was stopped by two Afghan policemen. He appeared to be moving away, eyewitnesses said, but then the car blew up -- damaging a wall and destroying a watch tower and leaving a trail of death and destruction.  Jayant Prasad, India's ambassador in Kabul, said the blast caused "extensive damage to the chancery", blowing off some of its doors and windows. The explosion also damaged a line of shops between the embassy and the interior ministry, shattering glass and rattling buildings more than a mile away. A huge brown plume of smoke was visible as ambulances raced to the scene and carried away the wounded. A 21-year-old Afghan man, who gave his name as Najibullah, said he had just opened his shop when the explosion took place, knocking him unconscious. When he awoke, he said, he couldn't see anything because of dust and debris. "Dust was everywhere. People were shouting," Najibullah said. "You couldn't see their faces because there was so much dust." Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said in New Delhi the attack was directed against India. "The suicide bomber came up to the outside perimeter wall of the embassy in a car loaded with explosives, obviously with the aim of targeting the embassy," she said.
The ministry statement made no mention of Pakistan.However, the Afghan government had blamed the ISI for the 2008 embassy bombing as well as for involvement in a string of attacks in the country. US officials suspected the 2008 embassy bombing and other high profile attacks were carried out by followers of Jalaluddin Haqqani, a longtime Afghan militant leader whose forces are battling US forces in eastern Afghanistan from sanctuaries in the border area of Pakistan. Source: Mail Today PAK STAMP ON KABUL STRIKE: 17 killed as Taliban target Indian embassy in Kabul Click On "Full Story" For More...
IN ISLAMABAD, Pakistan's foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Basit called allegations of a Pakistani role in the Kabul bombing "preposterous". He also condemned Thursday's bombing, saying, "Whenever terrorist activity occurs it should strengthen our resolve to eradicate and eliminate this menace." The Taliban claimed on their website that the target was the Indian embassy. Al Jazeera TV channel, quoting the Taliban website, identified the suicide bomber as Khalid.
The international community also condemned the attack. Timothy Roemer, the US ambassador to India, met Rao to discuss the blast and later said America supported India against terrorism. "I want to extend both to the foreign secretary and to the people of India the United States of America's support to India, its concern about this bombing and as we find out more details we will have more to say." British foreign secretary David Miliband spoke to foreign minister S.M. Krishna and expressed his sympathies. Sir Richard Stagg, the British high commissioner to India, said: "I condemn unreservedly the awful terrorist attack which took place in Kabul. Our thoughts and condolences are with the injured and with the families of those killed." Bernard Kouchner, the French minister of external and European affairs, said: "By attacking the diplomatic representation of a state, once again the terrorists have chosen the entire international community that aids and supports the Afghan people as a target."
|
LoginMembership has its privileges. Choose a username and provide a working email - that's all it takes to join. Click below to make a new account. |
She said she had spoken to ambassador Prasad, who had assured her the embassy officers, staff and personnel were safe. "Three ITBP personnel who were guarding the perimeter wall of the embassy have been slightly injured because of shrapnel from the blast. But there has been no loss of life," she added. Two of the injured personnel were identified as hawaldar Ravinder Singh and constable Gunwant. Rao, who is expected to visit Kabul on Friday, did not say who she believed was responsible for the attack. But an Afghan foreign ministry statement said Thursday's attack "was planned and implemented from outside of Afghan borders" by the same groups responsible for the July 2008 bombing.