Gunmen still firing on Indian Consulate in Afghanistan

The militants killed three people in a shootout and captured 16 others who were on board.

The number of attackers, according to the official, could be between eight to 12, all armed with assault rifles and suicide vests.

“The clearance operation is over and all the terrorists have all been killed”, said provincial police chief Sayed Kamal Sadat. He added that both Afghans and foreigners are working in the camp.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Monday made a telephone call to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and strongly condemned the terror attack in Pathankot that claimed the lives of seven security personnel. Four attackers have been confirmed killed. An hour earlier, thousands had gathered to welcome the Afghan national football team after its match in the South Asia soccer final against India, but by the time the bomber detonated his vehicle, they had dispersed. The Taliban have carried out similar attacks in the past. Nine civilians, including six children, were killed in the attack, which also wounded 24 others.

“The area is completely blocked by our forces”, said Shir Jan Durrani, a police spokesman in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of the relatively tranquil province of Balkh.

“A bomber on foot detonated his suicide vest… near Kabul airport”.

Afghan and Indian security forces gather outside an Indian consulate in northern Afghanistan on Monday. The fifth floor of the building where terrorists are holed up is understood to have had an office of an American NGO or organisation till sometime back. “The area is absolutely under government control”. Noor blamed “enemies of peace and stability” for the attack.

Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Amar Sinha tweeted that special forces were conducting clearing operations and that everyone in the consulate was safe.

Police have said the gunmen had earlier hijacked a police officer’s vehicle and driven it to the base.

The attack followed a raid over the weekend by suspected Islamist insurgents on an air force base in the northern Indian state of Punjab.

It was not clear on Monday whether any surviving attackers remained inside the base, but troops were checking the vast 14 square kilometre area. Find us on Facebook too!

Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Asia, has condemned the terrorist attacks against India, at a military base bordering Pakistan, and in Afghanistan.

The attacks came amidst nationwide clamour in India to cut off any dialogue with Pakistan that Modi’s surprise stopover at Lahore last week might have aimed at starting.