A suicide bomber today blew up an explosives-laden car outside the Indian Embassy in Kabul killing 12 people and injuring over 80, including three ITBP personnel. Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack. Al Jazeera channel quoting Taliban website identified the suicide bomber as Khalid. This is the second attack on the mission, after it was targeted in July last year. The wall of the highly-fortified embassy was damaged and a watch tower destroyed in the powerful blast that occurred near the outer perimeter in the morning. Afghanistan's Interior Ministry spokesman Zemaral Bashry said, most of the wounded are civilians.<br/><br/>Indian Ambassador Jayant Prasad said in Kabul that the Indian Embassy was the target but the suicide bomber failed to breach the security perimeter. Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said in New Delhi, the intensity of the blast was more or less the same as the July 2008 attack, which killed 60 people, including a senior IFS officer V V Rao and Brigadier-rank Defence Attach’ R D Mehta. She also asserted that India will take necessary measures to safeguard security of Indian personnel and interests in Afghanistan. Our Kabul correspondent reports, the last attack, blamed on Taliban militants linked to Pakistan's intelligence service ISI, led to fortification of the Embassy that helped prevent a major catastrophe today.<br/><br/>The United States strongly condemned the suicide bomb attack. Terming the attack as deeply troubling, US Ambassador to India, Timothy Roemer extended all support to New Delhi. Afghan President Hamid Karzai also condemned the blast, saying it is a heinous act of terror planned to kill innocent civilians. Karzai extended his heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims. A Presidential House spokesman said Karzai had ordered the security agencies to probe the incident.