Blast near consulate buildings in eastern Afghan city

He said an investigation was under way to try to identify the men and those behind the attack, which occurred on the same day gunmen attacked an Indian air base in Pathankot in the northwestern state of Punjab near the border with Pakistan.

The blast took place at about 11.30 am in the city centre.

“I strongly condemn the terrorist attacks on India’s Pathankot military base as well as on the Indian Consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan”, Congressman Brad Sherman, 61, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said yesterday.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack. “I first talked to them when the attack started Sunday night and I am in constant touch with them”, he said without going into further details about the incident.

A group of terrorists had attacked the Consulate at around 9.15 pm (local time) on Sunday with an aim of storming the building but their plan was thwarted by the security forces.

“Our search operation is still going on inside the building”, government spokesman Shir Jan Durrani said.

Afghan police soldiers stand guard at the site of a suicide attack near a compound belonging to foreigners in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Jan. 4, 2016. ITBP guards deployed on the sentry post foiled their attempt by raining heavy fire on them. They were armed with RPGs, hand grenades and light weapons.

“It was a minor blast and apparently it not aimed to target consulate buildings”, an unnamed official has been quoted as saying.

“Af Governor of Balkh-Ata Md Noor Wields Gun to Save Indian Mission in Mazar-e-Sharif, ” he tweeted.