Terror threat to Indians in Afghanistan not over: India

NEW DELHI - There is “constant threat” of terror attacks to Indian interests in Afghanistan, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said Thursday, adding that New Delhi had strengthened security around its missions and project sites in the country.

“There is a constant threat. It is not over. We have taken measures to strengthen security at embassy and projects. We are working with the Afghanistan government to be vigilant against the possibility of such attacks,” Rao told a group of 30 Afghan journalists who were given media skills training at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) here.

Indians engaged in building infrastructure projects in Afghanistan have been repeatedly targeted by militants, believed to be Taliban members based in Pakistan.

An Indian national was kidnapped and murdered in 2005 following which 200 troopers of the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were deployed to provide security for Indians and the projects supported by India in that country.

The Indian consulate in Jalalabad was attacked twice in 2007. The year after, two Indian diplomats and two security personnel were killed in an attack on the Indian embassy that killed a total of 58 people. This was followed by another failed attack in 2009.

The presence of ITBP personnel was steadily increased later.

Taliban suicide bombers in February last detonated a car bomb at a guesthouse in Kabul popular with Indians.

Rao said terrorism was a problem that could not be tackled without dismantling terror safe havens in the areas bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan.

“People who are engaged (in terrorism) need to be dealt with. Safe havens in the vicinity of your country need to be tackled,” she said. The Afghan group included 14 women.

The journalists, including from Kabul Times, Howad Daily, BBC Pashtun Service and government’s media wings, were felicitated by External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna.

At the IIMC they were given multi-media skill training for 15 days.