Blast targets Indian embassy in Kabul

Two Indian diplomats among 44 killed in suicide car bombing Two Indian diplomats, two security personnel and at least 40 Afghans were killed when a suicide bomber blew up a car packed with explosives at the gates of the Indian embassy in Kabul today, the worst terror attack in the ... ...capital since the Taliban’s fall in 2001.More than 100 people — overwhelmingly Afghans — were injured in the deafening blast around 8.30 am when the embassy was opening for work and a large number of Afghans were queuing up outside to get visas, media reports and Indian and Afghan officials said.The victims were mostly civilians, including women and children, an Afghan official added. India identified its dead nationals as Defence Attache Brigadier RD Mehta and Press Counsellor V Venkat Rao besides two men from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Ajay Paulia and Roop Singh.Rao had served in the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu for three years between 2000 and 2003. He is survived by his wife Malathi and two children Aniket and Amulya.An Afghan employee of the embassy, Niamutullah, was also killed.One account of the incident said that Mehta and Rao were about to enter the building when the car bomb exploded. The embassy is located on a tree-lined street in central Kabul, close to the interior ministry, and is part of a large Soviet built concrete complex. Moments after the car exploded in a cloud of dust after apparently failing to enter the heavily guarded mission, ambulances and police vehicles blaring sirens rushed to the spot.Many people fled the spot, screaming in terror. Others, including some of the injured, were too dazed to speak. Hundreds of Afghan troops and policemen quickly reached the area and helped to take out the bodies and to rush the injured to hospitals.An Indian embassy official said, "A large part of our building has been devastated." Several cars parked in the area were damaged. Windowpanes of nearby buildings were shattered. The Indian embassy staff was quickly moved to safety.No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

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