Three die in attack on US consulate in western Afghanistan

 

Three police officers have died and over two dozen other people have been injured in a militant attack on the US consulate in Afghanistan’s western city of Herat, Press TV reports.

Militants detonated a car packed with explosives at the entrance of the consulate compound in Herat at around 6:00 a.m. local time (0200 GMT) on Friday.

Reports say a heavy gun battle broke out between Afghan security forces and militants near the consulate following the massive explosion.

US helicopters reportedly landed in the compound to evacuate the injured.

The US Department of State said, “There are no American casualties. At this point there may be one wounded contract security member and there are likely wounded Afghan police.”

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi has claimed responsibility for the incident on behalf of the militant group.

The attack took place two days after the Taliban militants fired several rockets at Bagram Air Base in Parwan Province, which is the largest US military base in Afghanistan.

There has been a surge in the number of militant assaults against Afghan forces, foreign troops, and civilians in Afghanistan in recent months.

US-led troops and Afghan forces are falling prey to Taliban attacks on an almost daily basis.

The Taliban recently attacked a US military base in the town of Torkham, Nangarhar Province, sparking a lengthy gun battle between American forces and gunmen.

According to icasualties.org, over 3,370 US-led soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan since the invasion of the country in 2001, which was conducted as part of the so-called war on terror.

The increasing number of military casualties in Afghanistan has caused widespread anger in the United States and other NATO member states, undermining public support for the Afghan war.

MKA/HSN/HMV