Blast near Indian embassy in Kabul

New Delhi
Oct. 8: A Taliban suicide bomber blew up an explosives-laden car outside the Indian embassy in Kabul on Thursday, killing 17 people and injuring over 80 others. There were no Indian casualties. One Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) member suffered slight injuries, the Indian ambassador to Afghanistan, Mr Jayant Prasad, told this newspaper.

The blast took place at about 8.30 am local time (9.30 am IST). The suicide bomber drove up near a side entrance to the embassy and blew himself up. The doors and windows of the chancery building were blown off and a watchtower inside the Indian embassy compound was damaged.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack and identified the bomber as Khalid, Al Jazeera TV channel said. A Taliban spokesman said the Indian embassy was the intended target. Ambassador, Mr Prasad said the Afghan security agencies were following certain technical leads but it was evident that the attack was carried out by enemies of the growing friendship between the people of India and Afghanistan.

The explosion was heard across a large area. A Ria Novosti report from Kabul said the blast was strong enough to be felt in the Russian embassy compound on the other side of Kabul.

Several vehicles and shops in the vicinity of the Indian embassy and the Afghan interior ministry, located across the road, were totally destroyed. Windows of shops were shattered and walls of buildings badly damaged in the blast.
Source::DC