NEW DELHI: An Afghan staff member of the Indian consulate in Jalalabad on Tuesday was injured when unidentified men opened fire at his vehicle, people familiar with the matter said.
India closed the consulate in Jalalabad in 2020, long before the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August 2021. However, the Indian side has retained a small number of local staffers at the consulate, the people said on condition of anonymity.
“An incident took place [on Tuesday] involving a local Afghan staff of the Indian consulate in Jalababad, the capital of Nangarhar province. The local staff sustained minor injuries in the incident,” one of the people cited above said, without giving details.
The Indian side is in touch with Afghan authorities and awaiting a report on the incident, the people said.
Reports in the Afghan media said the driver of the vehicle being used by the Afghan staff member was killed in the attack and another person was injured. These reports could not be independently confirmed.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack. There was no word from the Taliban on the incident.
{{/usCountry}}No group claimed responsibility for the attack. There was no word from the Taliban on the incident.
{{/usCountry}}The reports identified the Afghan staff member of the consulate as Wadood Khan, a translator who left Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover and went to India. Khan reportedly returned some time ago and rejoined the consulate, the reports said.
The reports said the unidentified men opened fire on Khan’s vehicle at a roundabout. The reports further said this was the first time an Afghan national attached to a diplomatic mission had been attacked.
After the fall of the Ashraf Ghani government in 2021, India closed its embassy in Kabul and three other consulates and pulled out all its diplomats and officials.
New Delhi re-established a diplomatic presence in Afghanistan by sending a technical team to Kabul in June 2022. However, the four consulates have remained closed.
Like other countries, India has not recognised the Taliban regime. However, Indian officials have maintained contacts with top Taliban leaders and New Delhi has said its relationship with Afghanistan will be guided by the interests of the Afghan people.