Suicide Attack at Indian Consulate Kills 11 in Afghanistan

Security officials, investigates the scene of a three suicide bombers attack near to the Indian consulate In the city of Jalalabad eat of Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, 3, 2013. Three suicide attackers killed at least nine civilians, most of them children, in a botched attack Saturday on the Indian consulate in an eastern Afghan city near the border with Pakistan, security officials said. (AP Photo/Babrak)

Just days after the United States issued a global terror warning, at least 11 civilians were killed and 24 were injured in a suicide attack outside the Indian consulate in the eastern Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan on Saturday morning local time.

According to a report by an Afghani newspaper, Pajhwok Afghan News (PAN), the dead include eight civilians and three suicide bombers.

The powerful blast was followed by intense gun fire outside the heavily fortified consulate in the Amir Shaheed Bagh area of Jalalabad city at 10 a.m., witnesses and police told PAN.

The attack took place when many people, including women and children were queuing up for visas. The bombers reportedly detonated their explosive-laden car before they could reach their target due to tight security arrangements.

Niamatullah, a local shopkeeper, told PAN that five individuals approached him asking for the Indian consulate’s address. A while later, he heard a loud blast and gunfire.

A mosque and many houses and shops were damaged in the blast. Security has been further tightened around the consulate.

According to a report by Indian broadcaster NDTV, the security agencies in India had warning of the planned attack, and a security assessment team from Delhi had visited the consulate three days ago.