Kabul, Nov 19: South Korea has evacuated its ambassador and another diplomat from its embassy in Kabul after warnings of a suicide attack by al Qaeda or the Taliban, Korean sources in Afghanistan said today. The diplomatic sources said the departure of the ambassador and the first secretary to a third country left one full-time staffer in the country and a temporary worker who was expected to leave in the next two to three days.
''We got the warning from ISAF (the international security assistance force),'' said the full-time staff member, who did not want to be identified by name.
''It mentioned the threat from al Qaeda and the Taliban specifically against the (South) Korean Embassy,'' he said, adding that intelligence suggested the attack could come during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends on November 26.
''That is why we have emptied the embassy,'' said the diplomat who said he himself would be moving locations in Kabul for his own security.
There are 5,500 peacekeepers in the Nato-led ISAF force, and their presence in the capital has helped make it an island of relative stability as attacks blamed on Islamic militants steadily increase in the south and east of the country.
Earlier today, a South Korean Foreign Ministry official said in Seoul that three South Korean diplomats had been evacuated to Pakistan this week leaving a small staff behind.
The reason for the discrepancy was unclear.
About 40 South Koreans reside in Kabul and Seoul has deployed 205 construction and medical troops with the US-led force pursuing al Qaeda and Taliban remnants.
South Korea also has had 675 medical and engineering troops deployed with US-led forces in Iraq since May.
Bureau Report