ITBP constable killed in Afghan attack, India condemns

Kabul, June 6 : A constable of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Dev Kumar was killed and four injured in the latest terrorist attack in Afghanistan on Thursday evening.

The suicide attack was carried out at the Zaranj-Delaram Highway Project being executed by India for Afghanistan's development.

India strongly condemned the incident in a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi saying, such acts will not deter India from fulfilling its humanitarian commitments.

The Ministry expressed condolences and sympathies to the families of the victim and the injured.

The Four injured personnel of ITBP Ramesh Kumar, Onkar Nath, Sandeep Nath and Pradeep Singh are being provided medical aid in the Project Headquarters.

There have been several terror attacks in Afghanistan since the construction started, of the 218-kilometre road by the Indian government's Border Roads Organisation (BRO), and about 10 Indian nationals have been killed over the past few years.

Besides a strong ITBP contingent, locally recruited Afghans provide protection to the 400 BRO personnel constructing the road.

The Zaranj-Delaram Highway Project is part of the 750-million US dollars assistance committed by India for the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Pakistan has denied India, direct road access to Afghanistan. The highway would be a gateway from India to Central Asia via the Iranian port of Chabahar.

New Delhi has approached Iran for permission to develop the port, from where it would like to lay a road or provide a rail link to the starting point of the road.

ANI