A car bomb was used on Monday, in an attack on the Indian embassy in central Kabul, Afghanistan. The bombing, which occurred in the morning, killed 41, and injured at least 141. It was the deadliest attack in Kabul since 2001, when the Taliban fell.
The attack happened at the gates of the embassy, located in central Kabul, near many other government buildings such as the office of the Interior Ministry of Afghanistan. Many of the victims were Afghans, who were lining up for visas to travel to India. A security office and part of a wall were destroyed, and the blast was large enough to spread to other buildings nearby. Ali Hassan Fahimi, whose office is nearby, said shrapnel landed in his office. “It was so strong… and our staff were shocked,” he added.
Of the casualties, most were civilians. Five of the dead were embassy workers, a defense attache, a senior counselor, two security guards, and an Afghan employee. In addition, six police officers were killed.
India called the bombing a “cowardly terrorist attack” and said they would send a delegation to investigate. The foreign ministry of Afghanistan said they, “condemn today’s terrorist attack on the embassy of the friendly and brother country of India.” An Afghan government spokesman, Zamari Bashari, suggested that the attack was retaliation for India’s support for reconstruction in Afghanistan. The UN envoy, Kai Eide, said, “I condemn it in the strongest possible terms. In no culture, no country, and no religion is there any excuse or justification for such acts. The total disregard for innocent lives is staggering and those behind this must be held responsible.” The European Union condemned it as a, “terrorist attack targeting innocent civilians” and the United States said it was a “needless act of violence”. The foreign minister of Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, denounced the attack, saying, “Pakistan condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations as this menace negates the very essence of human values.”
Creative Commons Attribution 2.5
Rate this post:
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
Stumble It!
