Efforts on to evacuate injured Indian workers from Afghanistan

New Delhi, Jan 4 (UNI) India today said efforts were on to evacuate the six security personnel injured in yesterday's terrorist attack on Zaranj-Deleram road in Southwestern Afghanistan and aircrafts were on standby to bring them back home as soon as they reach Kabul from Zaranj.

Meanwhile, one of the security jawan killed in the Afghanistan terrorist attack was identified as Manoj Kumar Singh of the 10th Battalion of the ITBP.

The injured are : Umakant, Desha Singh, Rajesh Prasad, Prakash Chand, Harbans Lal and Gajender Singh.

Mr Gajender Singh has been shifted to Zabol in Iran for specialised emergency medical assistance, an External Affairs Ministry spokesman said.

The government said yesterday that at least two Indian security personnel were killed and some others injured in a suicide attack on a convoy of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) personnel working on the Zaranj-Delaram Road in Southwestern Afghaistan.

''We have just heard that a suicide attack on a convoy of the Border Road Organisation which is constructing the Zaranj-Delaram Road in Afghanistan. We understand that at least two of our security personnel have been killed and some others injured,'' the External Affairs Ministry had said.

The ndian Ambassador in Kabul is in touch with the BRO.

While the convoy was moving, terrorists detonated a remote-controlled bomb. As the convoy stopped after the attack, a suicide bomber struck.

This is the second such incident of terrorist attack on Indian workers working on the 217 KM road during the past two years. Three BRO engineers, engaged in the construction of the road, were abducted and killed by the Taliban in 2005.

Following the incident, security of Indian workers was stepped up.

The Union Cabinet had recently approved Rs 7,467 million for the road which will give India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia via the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.

The road connects Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Kundus and Mazar-e-Sharif facilitating transportation of goods from Afghanistan's main cities to the border with Iran and from there Chabahar, considerably reducing dependence on Pakistan.

The project cost whch was originally estimated at 70 million US Dollars, has overrun because of the security situation in the area.

About 300 Indians are working on the project. India has pledged 750 million US dollars for Afghanistan's reconstruction which includes infrastructure development and health and education.

India is also helping Afghanistan build its new Parliament building.

UNI RB SK RN2005