Taliban rocket hits Indian embassy premises in Kabul

A rocket struck an Indian diplomatic compound in the Afghan capital of Kabul on Tuesday, police said, as representatives of about two dozen international delegations met a kilometre or so away to discuss efforts to end violence.

Sirens and warnings of “incoming” missiles sounded in a number of embassies, followed by a dull thump as the rocket exploded.

Police said no one was injured in the blast, which struck a tennis court, a few blocks away from where the meeting was held.

A Taliban Twitter account said the group had targeted a “command centre of foreign invading forces” with a “missile”.

Notoriously inaccurate, rockets are occasionally fired into the city, often towards the fortified downtown area that houses not only the Indian embassy, but a number of other foreign delegations, the headquarters of the international military mission, and Afghan government ministries.

On May 31, a huge truck bomb detonated outside gates leading to the fortified area, killing more than 150 Afghans and wounding hundreds.

That blast caused serious damage to the German embassy, and lighter damage to the Indian and other embassies nearby.

A bomb attack on the Indian embassy in 2008 killed more than 40 people.

The incident came at the time when Afghanistan is hosting Kabul Process summit amid extremely tight security days after the capital city was hit by terror attacks that resulted into political stability in the country.

Representatives from at least 23 countries are participating in the summit aimed at establishing peace in the country.