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Blast near Pakistan consulate in eastern Afghan city: official

JALALABAD, AFGHANISTAN: An explosion was reported on Tuesday in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad close to foreign consulate buildings including those of Pakistan, India and Iran, a spokesperson for the provincial governor said.

Although specific details are awaited, locals in Jalalabad are expecting casualties and destruction.

Attaullah Khugyani said there were no reports of casualties from the blast, which followed an attack on the Indian consulate in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Sunday. The target of the attack was not immediately clear and there was no claim of responsibility.

The incident occurred while Indian security forces were still trying to suppress an attack on an air base in Pathankot, near the border with Pakistan that has killed at least seven military personnel and wounded 20 others.

The attack marks the second terrorist attack against any Indian diplomatic mission in Afghanistan.

With an unknown number of gunmen holed up in a house across the street from the consulate, special forces units prepared an operation to clear the attackers, police spokesperson Shir Jan Durani said.

Two loud explosions and gunshots were heard earlier as the gunmen launched an attack from a nearby house, Muneer Ahmad Farhad, a spokesperson for the Balkh province governor said.

M M Alam

M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career four decades ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.