Nirupama Rao to meet Afghanistan Foreign Minister, President

Kabul, Oct 9 (ANI): Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao is expected to meet Afghanistan Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta and President Hamid Karzai today to assess the situation arising out of Thursday's bomb blast outside the Indian embassy here, which claimed 17 lives and injured over 60.

The Foreign Secretary has visited the Indian embassy and seen the damage done to its premises by the suicide car bomber.

Earlier, Rao and India's Ambassador to Afghanistan Jayant Prasad had said the intensity of the blast was similar to the July 7, 2008.

Rao had also said that the suicide attack in Kabul was directed at the Indian embassy.

No embassy staff was killed in the attack, but three ITBP personnel deployed for security duties outside the embassy had received minor injuries.

India is taking this issue "very seriously" and will launch a thorough investigation of the event. (ANI)