KABUL, Afghanistan
A seven-hour assault on the Indian consulate in Afghanistan's western province Herat ended with five Taliban attackers being killed, officials said Friday.
The Taliban fighters took cover in a half-constructed building behind the Indian consulate and at 4am began to lay siege to the consulate with rocket-propelled grenades and light and heavy weaponry.
“The fight has ended after seven hours and all the attackers are shot dead,” Sediq Sediqi, spokesman for the Ministry of Interior told Anadolu Agency.
He said two policemen were wounded during the crossfire but no diplomatic staff were harmed.
Indian media reported that newly-elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi phoned Afghan President Hamid Karzai to thank him for the efforts of Afghan forces.
In a similar Taliban attack on the Indian consulate in eastern Ningrahar province last year, at least 10 civilians were killed and 21 wounded.
U.S.-led forces ousted the Taliban from power in 2001 but with the withdrawal of U.S. troops scheduled for the end of 2014, the Taliban have recently intensified attacks on government and foreign facilities.
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