2 militants die in attack on Indian consulate western Afghanistan

A group of militants stormed an Indian consulate in western Herat province of Afghanistan on Friday, launching an attack which resulted in the death of two assailants, said officials. The spokesman of the Governor of Herat, Ihsanullah Ihsan said in a statement that four individuals started firing at the diplomatic mission early in the morning when they entered a building under construction in front of the consulate. He confirmed that the security forces retaliated the attack and exchange of fire continued for several hours. Ministry of external affairs spokesman Syed Akbaruddin confirmed that a deployment of the police at the consulate held off the assault until Afghan forces arrived and all Indians at the consulate were safe. Earlier in September last year, Taliban rebels launched a similar assault on the United States consulate in Herat, killing at least four Afghan security personnel but failed to enter the compound or hurt any American diplomat. The latest attack comes on the eve of the inauguration of new Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will be attended by Afghan President Hamid Karzai.