Blast in Afghanistan`s Jalalabad; Indian consulate `not target`

Kabul/New Delhi: An explosion took place on Tuesday 400 metres away from the Indian Consulate in Afghanistan's Jalalabad city, two days after the country's mission was attacked by terrorists in Mazar-e-Sharif. 

However, official sources in New Delhi said the reports suggested that the mission was not the target of the blast. Further details about the explosion were awaited, they said.

"The Indian Consulate was not the target," a source said dismissing reports that the explosion was targeted at the Indian mission.

"Pakistan Consul General's house in Jalalabad was closer to the blast site than the Indian mission which was 400 metres away," the source said.

An intense 25-hour gun-battle between security forces and terrorists outside the Indian Consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif came to end last night with the killing of all the attackers who attempted to storm the Mission building.

While three of the attackers were killed in the gunfight earlier, the remaining were neutralised by the night. A group of terrorists had attacked the Consulate on Sunday night with an aim of storming the building but their plan was thwarted by the security forces.