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Suicide Attack On Kabul Hotel Kills 9 IndiansBy ugeshji, Section Suicide Bombers  The attacks appeared to be targeted at the Indian presence in the Afghan capital as one of the hotels attacked was rented by the Indian embassy for its staffers and those attached to India's developmental projects in Afghanistan.
"As per the preliminary information provided by the Afghan government officials, up to nine Indians, besides a few others from Afghanistan and third countries, have lost their lives," foreign minister S.M. Krishna said in a statement. He added that arrangements were being made for their adequate and expeditious treatment, if necessary, by evacuating them to India. The bodies of those slain are expected to be brought back by a special plane. Praising the contribution of the Indians killed in Friday's ghastly attacks, PM Manmohan Singh said: "The Indians who have lost their lives were on a mission of goodwill and friendship, helping to construct a peaceful, democratic Afghanistan that our Afghan friends desire. I convey my heartfelt condolences to their families and near and dear ones, and assure them that we stand with them in this hour of grief, and will render all possible support to them." The PM added: "I am deeply saddened and grieved at the loss of lives of Indian nationals in the bomb attack in Kabul, which has also claimed the lives of several innocent Afghan civilians. I condemn in the strongest possible terms this senseless act of violence and barbarism which strikes at the core of everything a civilised society holds dear." Assuring all assistance to the families of the deceased officials, Krishna said, "Though the irreplaceable loss of these families can never be recompensed, all necessary steps will be taken for the welfare of the dependents of the deceased officials." Source: Mail Today Suicide Attack on Kabul Hotel Kills 9 Indians Click on "Full Story" For More...
The deceased Indians were identified as Major Dr Laishram Jyotin Singh of Army Medical Corps, Major Deepak Yadav of Army Education Corps, engineer Bhola Ram, tabla player Nawab Khan, staffer of Kandahar Consulate Nitish Chibber and ITBP constable Roshan Lal, Indian embassy sources told PTI.
Sources said 12 Indians were injured in the attacks that killed an Italian diplomat, a French tourist and several policemen. "These barbaric attacks are a matter of deep concern and are clearly aimed against the people of India and the people of Afghanistan. These are the handiwork of those who are desperate to undermine the friendship between India and Afghanistan, and do not wish to see a strong, democratic and pluralistic Afghanistan," Krishna said.
South Block sources claimed the attack was yet another attempt to deliver a message to prune Indian presence in the landlocked country. "We are however, determined to continue our engagement with Afghanistan. In a recent poll, Afghans have whole heartedly supported our development projects," a source said.
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Those killed included Indian embassy officials, army doctors and an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) jawan. This is the third attack on Indian officials in Afghanistan in the past 20 months. The attacks on the embassy in July 2008 and October 2009 had killed diplomats and officials apart from several Afghan nationals.