March 02, 2016•Update: March 04, 2016
By Zabihullah Tamanna
KABUL
At least seven people were killed and another 19 injured on Wednesday when gunmen wearing explosive vests attacked the Indian consulate in Afghanistan’s eastern Nangarhar province, according to Afghan officials.
The attack began after a suicide bomber detonated his explosive-laden vehicle near the consulate in Jalalabad, located some 150 kilometers east of capital Kabul.
Immediately afterward, four more militants attacked the diplomatic mission.
According to Ataullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the provincial governor, all the attackers were eventually gunned down by security forces deployed in the area.
At least one civilian bystander and one member of the Afghan security forces were killed in the melee, local officials said.
"Nineteen injured people, including women and children, have been taken to a local hospital," Khogyani told Anadolu Agency by phone.
"The area has since been secured by Afghan forces," he added. "The situation is currently under control."
The Indian embassy in Kabul, for its part, tweeted that all members of the consulate’s staff were safe.
No group -- including the Taliban -- has yet claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attack, which was second of its kind within two months.
In early January, at least four militants besieged the Indian consulate in Afghanistan’s northern Balkh province with light and heavy weapons.
After sustaining several casualties, Afghan security forces eventually managed to end the siege.
Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, which shares a border with Pakistan, has recently seen series of terrorist attacks and the emergence of fighters affiliated with the Daesh terrorist group.
