Blast outside Indian Embassy in Kabul; No Indian Killed, Few Hurt
A car bomb exploded outside Indian embassy in Kabul on Thursday morning, killing at least 12 people and injuring 80 others. Indian ambassador has said that no Indian was killed in the blast but a few were injured.
The explosion occurred near the interior ministry office and Indian embassy was a suicide attack. Eyewitnesses reported glass and debris scattered in the street and a plume of smoke rising above the area.
Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao said that she believed the attack was aimed against the embassy as the bomber had driven his car up to its outer wall.
Later, Indian ambassador to Afghanistan Jayant Prasad said that no Indian was killed in the blast but some were injured, describing the explosion as being “of the same intensity” as the July 7, 2008 bombing in which 44 people, including two Indian diplomats, were killed.
“The explosion that I heard at my residence was exactly the same that I heard at my home (in July 2008),” Prasad said.
“No Indian has been severely injured or killed in the attack,” Prasad said, adding that it was an “IED attack”.
In the explosion, there was damage to the “watch tower and some of the security personnel on the outer perimeter” had been hurt, but the injuries were not serious.
Prasad said that there was damage to chancery premises “with doors and windows blown off” and added that the embassy wall took the impact of the blast.
