Explosions, gunshots at Indian consulate in Afghan city

News agency AFP quoted an unidentified Indian consulate official as saying, “We are being attacked. Fighting is going on.”

There was no immediate comment from the ministry of external affairs in Delhi, which said details were awaited. “There were gunshots and explosions heard for over 20 minutes on the premises. The external affairs ministry is in touch with both the embassy in Kabul as well as the consulate,” an official said.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack on the consulate, which is guarded by around 40 India-tibetan Border Police commandos. “ITBP personnel along with Afghan police are retaliating... We are effectively engaged and retaliating along with the Afghan forces posted at the consualte,” ITBP director general Krishna Chaudhary said.

As per protocol, ITBP men cannot operate outside the three-storey consulate building. Outer periphery is manned by Afghan forces.

Insurgents had hidden in a house near the consulate and struck after darkness fell, Muneer Ahmad Farhad, a spokesman for the Balkh province governor said.”right now our security forces are fighting them,” he said.

There were no reports of Indian casualties and it was not certain that the consulate was the target, an Indian official said. “Details are very sketchy at this point in time,” he said.