Herat:Â Â The Indian consulate in this city was attacked early Friday morning by four gunmen who unsuccessfully tried to enter the building and then started firing from neighbouring buildings. All four of the attackers have reportedly been killed and all diplomats and staffers at the consulate are unharmed.
The assault, which began at 3.25 am, had been on for several hours. The local police was quoted as saying that four gunmen opened fire on the consulate from a nearby home with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades.
India has invested more than $2 billion in Afghan projects, including roads and power projects. But what is surprising is that Herat, which lies near Afghanistan’s border with Iran, is considered a safe zone.
The attack comes on a day Islamabad is expected to inform India whether Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will come for Narendra Modi’s swearing in as Prime Minister on Monday. Afghan president Hamid Karzai has confirmed that he will attend the oath ceremony.
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