Taliban storm US consulate in Afghanistan’s Herat

Afghan Taliban say a group of heavily armed fighters Friday stormed the US consulate in western city of Heart, killing and injuring scores of foreign and Afghan troops.

The US embassy in Kabul says all Consulate personnel safe and accounted for after complex attack on Herat consulate early this morning.

Taliban in a statement claimed responsibility for the US consulate attack in Herat province.

It was third attack on diplomatic missions in Afghanistan in the past five weeks including one near the Indian consulate in Jalalabad earlier this month.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi said that a group of the Taliban first detonated an explosive-laden truck near the main gate that paved the way for the attackers to enter the diplomatic mission.

“Scores of foreign and Afghan soldiers were killed and injured,” the Taliban spokesman said in a statement.

Officials said that US Special Forces have secured the US consulate in Herat and helicopters landed for evacuation.

Attack on US consulate comes right after when dozens of Herati people protested in front of Iranian embassy and the embassy was stoned, a resident in Herat said.

NATO said four suicide bombers were gunned down shortly after the attack had started and one had left inside the compound, who was also killed later.

Officials confirmed that two police were killed and 16 civilians were wounded.

“No foreign casualties & no damage to the building,” officials said.

The US embassy spokesman said in a tweet: “There was a complex VBIED (Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device) attack against US Consulate Herat this morning. All Consulate personnel are safe & accounted for.”

Herat governor confirmed that  the building suffered some damages.

An Afghan interpreter working with the US consulate was killed during the gun battle, officials said.

Taliban said they have launched another suicide attack apart from U.S. consulate in Herat, the second attack is on a government  compound in Paktika.

NATO helicopters were also hovering over the US consulate as the Taliban launched the attack.

Herat police says only two police have been killed and two others wounded in US consulate attack in Herat province. 

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Posted by Tahir Khan on Sep 13 2013. Filed under Latest News, South Asia. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.