Afghanistan: Suicide attack at Indian consulate in Jalalabad leaves two civilians dead

At least two people were killed as a group of suicide attackers targeted the Indian consulate in the Afghan city of Jalalabad. A car bomb detonated outside the gates of the diplomatic compound in the eastern city not far from the Pakistani border on 2 March.

The blast, in an area of the city popular with diplomatic missions, killed two civilians and injured 19 more, according to the Nangarhar province's governorate. The detonation, which shattered windows of nearby buildings and burned out a number of cars, was followed by a gun battle, as up to five militants who attempted to storm the consulate were faced by security forces.

All the attackers were killed before they were able to access the building, Attahullah Khugyani, a spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province told Reuters. "Their target was the Indian consulate, but our forces shot and killed them all before they reached their target," he said.

An official with the Indian foreign ministry earlier said all consular staff were safe. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes after a similar bombing claimed by the Islamic State (Isis/Daesh) group in January.

At least two people were killed in Jalalabad, which is close to the Pakistani border, on 13 January in a suicide bombing targeting the Pakistani consulate. Another 13 people died in another explosion at a guest house on 17 January.