ITBP personnel and Afghan soldiers have repulsed an attack on the Indian Consulate in Afghanistan's Herat province. The ITBP DG told a TV channel that all four heavily armed gunmen, who attacked the Herat Consulate early this morning, have been killed.
He said, there is no casualty on the Indian side. MEA spokesman Syed Akbaruddin has said that four attackers have been killed as per the latest update.
An External Affairs Ministry spokesperson also said in New Delhi that all Consulate staff are safe. The spokesperson said, Indian and Afghan officials are in touch and Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh is monitoring the situation.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
India has invested in some major infrastructure projects in Afghanistan like Salma hydroelectric dam in Herat province and the Afghan parliament building in Kabul.
India's development assistance programme for Afghanistan currently stands at two billion dollars, making it the leading donor nation among all regional countries.
Attack on the Indian consulate in Afghanistan's Herat province has been widely condemned.
Condemning the attack, President Pranab Mukherjee said such terror attacks will not deter India to assist Afghanistan in its reconstruction and development efforts. He expressed gratitude to the Afghan security forces for quick response to the situation to ensure safety of the staff.
Vice President Mohammed Hamid Ansari said, such acts of violence will not weaken India's resolve to assist Afghanistan in building a strong, stable and democratic country.
Outgoing Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh also condemned the attack and said India will continue to support Afghanistan in its brave fight against terrorism.
Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi has also condemned terrorist attack on Indian consulate in Herat province of Afghanistan.
Mr. Modi has spoken to Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on the phone regarding the attack on Indian consulate in Herat. In a tweet, Mr Modi said Mr Karzai assured him that he will do everything to protect India's Missions in Afghanistan. Mr Modi said India salutes the efforts of its security personnel and Afghan security forces for their valiant efforts to fight the terrorists.
BJP President Rajnath Singh todaycondemned the attack on the Indian Consulate in Afghanistan and lauded the role of brave ITBP jawans and officers for putting up a brave defence.
He lauded the role of Indian security forces for their brave action.
Congress has strongly condemned the attack on Indian consulate in Herat, Afghanistan and said Kabul should ensure that such attacks do not recur. Addressing media in New Delhi today, party spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed said the Afghan government should act tough against the perpetrators of the attack.
The spokesperson welcomed BJP's decision to invite Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony. He, however, cautioned the incoming government against holding serious dialogue with Pakistan.
He said it is well known from where terrorists in Afghanistan are getting their sustenance. Shakeel Ahmed said the atmosphere is not conducive for talks as Pakistan is not giving positive signals on contain forces inimical to India. He said unless Islamabad dismantles terror infrastructure, there is no need to hold high level meetings with it.
