Indian consulate attack: Terrorists couldn't breach compound's perimeter, says MEA

No militant group has so far claimed responsibility for Wednesday's assault.

New Delhi: A day after the deadly suicide bomb attack on the Indian consulate in Afghanistan's Jalalabad city, the Indian External Affairs Ministry on Thursday said that the attackers could not breach the outer security of the complex.

“Five terrorists had attacked the Indian consulate yesterday in Jalalabad. One terrorist blew himself up.

“It is noteworthy that the attackers could not breach the security,” MEA spokesman Vikas Swarup said on Thursday.

There were no casualties on the Indian side.

Four other suicide bombers, who tried to attack the Indian consulate, were shot dead by the security forces.

At least six people were injured in the Wednesday's attack.

No militant group has so far claimed responsibility for the assault.

Meanwhile, additional Afghan forces have been deployed around the Indian Consulate in Jalalabad.

Senior officials of both National Directorate of Security (NDS) and Afghan National Police (ANP) visited the Consulate to reassure Consulate officials of their complete cooperation, Swarup said.

Electricity lines that were knocked out due to an explosion were repaired and power was restored on priority, he added.

After the encounter was over, ANP chief of Nangarhar General Fazal Ahmad Sherzad, NDS Chief General Dad Mohammad Harifi, Governor Salim Khan Kundozi and ANCOP Chief Colonel Mohammad Naseem visited the Consulate to reassure Consulate officials of their complete cooperation, he said.

Wednesday's attack was fourth in a series of terror strikes on Indian Consulate in Jalalabad in the last nine years. It was attacked twice with hand grenades in 2007 and in 2013 and then by three suicide bombers. In 2015, an attack on it was thwarted by the Afghan security forces.

Two months ago, heavily-armed terrorists had carried out an attack on Indian mission in Mazar-e-Sharif which lasted for over 25 hours with all the attackers who attempted to storm the building getting killed by the Afghan forces.

Soon after that in January, Islamic State jihadists claimed responsibility for a deadly gun and bomb siege targeting the nearby Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad. 

(With agency inputs)