Blast in Pak consulate

A bomb blast rocked the Pakistani consulate in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad early Friday causing damage to the building but no casualties, the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reported. The bomb, which was planted near the outer wall went off around 6:00 am, the Pakistan-based private news service said. The blast caused minor structural damage but no casualties, it reported. It was the third bomb targeting Pakistani diplomatic property in Afghanistan within two months. Two blasts shook the Pakistani embassy and a diplomat’s house in Kabul in July. No one was injured in those explosions.

AIP said the bombing in Jalalabad was the first “terrorist act” in the Afghan garrison city since 1996, when the Taliban Islamic militia seized power. The Pakistani mission is located in a residential district of Jalalabad’s western flank. AIP said that the blast was apparently caused by a low-intensity device when the consulate was closed due to weekly holiday on Friday. It had no impact on adjacent buildings. Pakistan is among the three countries along with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to have recognized the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and is considered to be a strong supporter of the Islamic militia.

The Taliban, which controls most of the country, blamed the Afghan Opposition for the previous blasts in Kabul and arrested eight suspects. Taliban officials claimed that the Opposition, which holds a small chunk of territory in the mountainous northeastern region, was committing such acts to create an atmosphere of fear and panic among the people. The Opposition denies the Taliban charge