This Article is From Mar 03, 2010

New threats against Indians in Afghanistan

New threats against Indians in Afghanistan
New Delhi: Intelligence agencies have warned that there are fresh alerts of possible terror strikes against Indians in Afghanistan.

More terrorists have allegedly arrived in Kabul and Jalalabad to target the Indian embassy in the former and the Indian Consulate in the latter.  

On February 26, six Indians were killed in a series of blasts that targeted guest houses in Kabul where Indians were staying. Suicide bombers targeted the Noor guest house, where the Indian army medical mission was stationed. Two army officers were among those killed. The Park Residence guest house, home to many Indians working in the embassy, was also attacked. (Read: Indians were target of Kabul suicide attack | Bodies of 6 Indians killed in Kabul brought home)

Meanwhile in Washington, Richard Holbrooke, the US Special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, has said he does not believe that Indians were the target of those attacks. "I don't accept the fact that this was an attack on an Indian facility like the (Indian) embassy. They were foreigners, non-Indian foreigners hurt. It was a soft target. Let's not jump to conclusions," he said. (Read: Indians not the target in Kabul, says Holbrooke)

Indian officials are surprised and annoyed with Holbrooke's statement, especially because they don't believe his assessment is based on specific information. India points to a statement made on Tuesday by a senior Afghan intelligence official who said he has proof that the Laskar-e-Toiba (LeT) was involved with last week's attacks.  While the Taliban have claimed responsibility for the suicide attacks, Indians say that an LeT angle makes it clear that Indians were very much the focus of the terror strikes. (Read: Lashkar-e-Toiba behind Kabul attack?)

National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon is travelling to Afghanistan this week to assess how security can be improved for Indians there. 
.