Kabul: The Indian Consulate in eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad was attacked by a group of heavily armed terrorists on Wednesday.


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The blast, believed to be a suicide attack, occurred around noon.


After a fierce gunbattle, the security forces managed to eliminate all five terrorists who were involved in the attack.


At least 19 persons, including some policemen and civilians, were also injured in the attack.


The Afghan media claimed that the operation to neutralise all attackers has ended and the entire area is being searched massively.


 


 


The Afghan government troops had cordoned off the area shortly after the blast, keeping people away from the site fearing more blasts.


Several warning shots were also fired by the security force personnel.


The Iranian and the Pakistani consulate buildings are also located at the same place.


The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had earlier confirmed that it was a suicide explosion which targeted the Indian Consulate.


 


 


All Indian Consulate officials are reported to be safe, the MEA said.


The ITBP jawans deployed at the Indian Mission also joined the Afghanistan security forces in eliminating the terrorists who were holed up in a nearby building.


Those injured were rushed to a nearby hospital, said reports. The Afghan media had earlier claimed that five attackers, including a suicide bomber, were involved in the attack on the Indian Consulate.


Some eyewitnesses were also quoted as saying by the Afghan media that several blasts took place near the gate of Indian Consulate.


One suicide bomber had detonated himself after which four other terrorists started firing indiscriminately on the security forces.


The explosions were so powerful that they shattered windows and doors in nearby buildings and destroyed at least eight cars.


No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.


It comes nearly two months after a suicide attack on the nearby Pakistani Consulate in Jalalabad in January.