Week after alert, two Indians working on key Afghan road killed in Taliban suicide attack

Three ITBP jawans and an equal number of BRO workers were injured in the attack. Five of the injured were identified as Bishram Oraon, Vikram Singh, Muhammad Nazin Khan, Anil Kumar Thampee and Mayaram. Two Afghan project personnel were also injured.

Indian officials said the attack on a working party was carried out by a “vehicle borne suicide bomber”. Sources said that the bomber, who was in a Toyota vehicle, rammed a bus carrying Indian personnel and blew himself up.

“The injured have been moved to Zaranj for medical attention and arrangements are being made for immediate evacuation of the bodies and those wounded,” said the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, adding that compensation and insurance money for the victims was being immediately released by the government.

The attack comes barely a week after the Indian embassy in Kabul was warned about the Taliban threat to the project. As many as 56 Afghan security personnel, protecting the Indian team, have been killed in attacks since work began in 2004.

Despite additional security provided by Afghan authorities and a strong presence of ITBP troops, the project has been targeted thrice. Earlier, two Indian personnel — an ITBP jawan and a BRO driver — were killed. Maniappan Kutty, the driver, was murdered by his abductors in November 2005.

Indian officials said that while the attack was a setback, work on the nearly Rs 700 crore-project would not be affected. Eighty per cent of the work was over and the Indians hope to complete the rest by August. Some 400 BRO workers and 300 ITBP jawans have been posted there.

“Such things are unfortunate but the aim would be to carry on. Though this will have an effect, there should be no delay as we want the project to go on as scheduled,” Director General of BRO Lt Gen A K Nanda told The Sunday Express.

Condemning the attack, the Indian government reiterated its “determination to continue to work with the Afghan people and government for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Afghanistan and the well-being of the Afghan people.”

The project is crucial as the road will give landlocked Afghanistan access to an Iranian deep sea port by tapping into the Garland Highway which connects Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif with Kandahar and Heart. It will also allow India to bypass Pakistan and get a direct trade link to Afghanistan through Iran’s Chabahar port.

Re-building Afghanistan: India’s hands

India is fifth largest bilateral donor in Afghanistan after US, UK, Japan and Germany. Present assistance: $750 million. Indian projects involve hydro-electricity, power transmission lines, road construction, agriculture and industry, telecommunications, information and broadcasting, education and health. Major works include:

• Construction of 218 km Zaranj-Delaram road. 400 BRO personnel involved

• Construction of Afghan Parliament

• Construction of power transmission line from Pul-e-Khumri to Kabul, sub-station at Kabul

• Food assistance in form of high protein biscuits for 1.4 million school kids daily

• Reconstruction of Salma Dam power project in Herat

• Telephone exchanges connecting 11 provinces to Kabul

• TV network uplink from Kabul, downlinks in all 34 provincial capitals

• Supply of vehicles (400 buses, 200 mini-buses, 105 municipal and 285 army vehicles)

• English language teachers in Kabul, Jalalabad, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif, Pul-e-Khumri

• CII project for training 3,000 Afghans in carpentry, plumbing, welding, masonry and tailoring