IS claims responsibility of attack on Pak Consulate General in Jalalabad

There were no casualties among the people inside the consulate.

The designation posted online Thursday says ISIS-K has been responsible for “suicide bombings, small arms attacks and kidnappings in eastern Afghanistan… and claimed responsibility for [the] May 2015 attacks on civilians in Karachi, Pakistan”. More than 11 people were injured in Wednesday’s attack. Nangarhar is home to militants of all stripes, including Daesh and Taliban.

Afghan President apprised Pakistani PM of the attack on the consulate in Jalalabad and expressed his concern and grief over the incident. Afghan officials have acknowledged that the group, which recently launched its own radio station in Nangahar, is growing stronger.

Ghani assured the Prime Minister “to ensure more security measures for Pakistan’s diplomats in Afghanistan”.

“The attack on Mazar-i-Sharif was done by Pakistan military as per the Afghan Police”.

Locals had been queuing up to apply for visas at the time of the attack and some of the injured are students, Tolonews television channel reported.

In a statement distributed on ISIS-affiliated media, the group said that three “Caliphate soldiers” stormed the consulate in Jalalabad during what it called a four-hour-long mission.

The group is set to hold the next round of discussions on January 18 in Kabul.

Two other attackers, Siddiqi said, had entered a nearby guest house of the consulate but were killed by security forces as he confirmed clashes lasted for four hours.

Afghan officials said all three attackers and at least seven members of the security forces died during the attack by the IS, which hitherto had not struck high-profile Pakistani targets in Afghanistan. More than 10 people, including civilians, were wounded.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s attack. The Taliban regularly conducts such strikes against facilities belonging to the Afghan government, global aid workers or foreign troops. But the Taliban’s main faction, led by Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, denied involvement. All Indians are reported to be safe.

The spike in violence came in the wake of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise visit to Pakistan last month, after the nuclear-armed rivals announced they would resume high-level peace talks. The consulate was sealed off following the attack. The extent of actual militant involvement in attacks can also be hard to verify.

Security forces cordoned off the area shortly after the blast. “Apparently it seems to be a suicide one”.