Attack on Pakistan consulate in Afghanistan

[HAIDER]

KABUL: A four-hour long gunbattle between Afghan security forces and gunmen holed up near the Pakistani consulate in the eastern city of Jalalabad has come to an end after all attackers were killed, Afghanistan's Tolo News reported.




The self styled Islamic State group claimed the attack later today in a statement conveyed to Reuters,

Tolo News reported that a consulate staff member, three children and seven police officials are also among those injured, but Foreign Office Spokesman Qazi Khalilullah contended, "All Pakistanis working at the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad are safe. No one has been injured."



A member of the Afghan security force inspects a damaged building after a blast near the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad. -Reuters
An interior ministry statement said a "group of terrorists targeted a police vehicle near the Pakistan consulate at 8:50am", while local officials claim the consulate itself was attacked, Tolo News said.

Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the provincial governor, earlier said a suicide bomber had tried to join a queue of people seeking visas to Pakistan and blew himself up after being prevented from entering the building.




Witnesses said they heard heavy gunfire and a series of explosions. Three attackers had barricaded themselves inside a house near the consulate and engaged in a gunbattle with security forces, officials said.

Residents and children from a nearby school were evacuated.

Afghan officials sealed off the area around the consulate ─ which is located close to the Indian and Iranian diplomatic missions ─ and said a probe into the attack had been initiated.




Pakistan condemns the attack
Pakistan strongly condemned and requested government of Afghanistan to thoroughly investigate this incident and bring the culprits to book.

According to a press release issued from foreign office, Paksitan also requested Afghan government to share details of the investigation with Pakistani officials.

The foreign office confirmed that officials of the Consulate General are safe. Only one official was slightly injured by a broken glass.

The Government of Afghanistan has also been requested to ensure safety and security of Pakistan Missions in Afghanistan and the country's officials working there.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the blast in Jalalabad which is the main trade gateway to the Khyber Pass and Pakistan. Nangarhar province is home to a number of insurgent groups and criminal gangs.

Insurgent attacks are not uncommon in Jalalabad. The militant Islamic State group also has a presence in province.

Pakistan says many Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, who are separate from but allied with the Afghan Taliban, and are fighting against the Pakistani state, have sought refuge in Afghanistan from Pakistani Army offensives against them in North Waziristan and Khyber tribal regions.



Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers arrive after a blast near the Pakistani consulate in Jalalabad. -Reuters
There have been several bomb blasts in Afghanistan over recent weeks at a time when efforts are underway to restart a peace process with the Taliban and ease diplomatic tension between Pakistan and India.

Read: US sees Taliban as reconciliation partners: Pentagon

Delegates from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States met this week to try to resurrect efforts to end nearly 15 years of bloodshed in Afghanistan, even as fighting with the Taliban intensifies.

The blast came ten days after 25-hour gun and bomb siege took place near the Indian consulate in the Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif.

─ Mateen Haider contributed to the reporting of this story.

 

[HAIDER]

New update , they try to take over the record of embassy , attack was failed. But, one cell phone of embassy staff is missing or took by these terrorist.

 

[KingRaj]

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack on Pakistani consulate.

 

[JonAsad]

This cell phone is going to be given to the indians - they gona use that number to claim responsibility of future attack on indian Consulate - thus implicating Pakistan -

 

[HAIDER]

But, RAW and NDS is also under microscope per report. Even though ISIS took responsibility.

 

[Imran Khan]

now they blame to us also ?

 

[Pakistani E]

It's India who did this. India blames Pakistan everytime their consulates are attacked in Afghanistan. So same logic, this is the work of RAW and ungrateful Afghan chars.

 

[koolio]

It's India who did this. India blames Pakistan everytime their consulates are attacked in Afghanistan. So same logic, this is the work of RAW and ungrateful Afghan chars.

There is no doubt that Indians are involved in this attack on Pakistani consulate, NDS also in bed with the Indians, why would the terrorists try to take the records which they failed but managed to take one of the diplomats mobile phone?

 

[CENTCOM]

The attack on the Pakistani Consulate in Jalalabad is one of the latest in a series of attacks happening in Afghanistan, before this it was the Indian consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif, suicide blast in Kabul Restaurant, attacks on airports in Kabul and Qandahar etc. This time however, the Islamic state has taken responsibility for the attack on the Pakistani consulate. The cancer of this evil cult has spread into Afghanistan and is on the door steps of an area in Pakistan which has already been plagued with violent extremism. For years now we have said that in order to defeat terrorism we have to eliminate violent extremism from society. Building societies tolerant of differences has to become a priority for us all if we want to not lose more of our children and impressionable youth to these extremist narratives. No one nation is perfect in this regard but we can all strive to make this possible.

Haroon Ahmad
DET – U.S. Central Command
www.facebook.com/centcomurdu

 

[WaLeEdK2]

I'm starting to think we should conduct some air strikes in Afghanistan. I was a strong opposer to the idea at first but now I think there's no other way. Let the afghans protest it if they want. It's time to take action in Afghanistan.

 

[Tshering22]

I'm starting to think we should conduct some air strikes in Afghanistan. I was a strong opposer to the idea at first but now I think there's no other way. Let the afghans protest it if they want. It's time to take action in Afghanistan.

But why is ISIS claiming responsibility then?

What would you get raiding Afghanistan when IS is doing it (IS has some ground in Afghanistan).