View source for 2009 bombing of Indian embassy in Kabul

{{short description|Suicide bomb attack}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox terrorist attack
|title=2009 Kabul Indian embassy bombing
|image=
|caption=
|location=Embassy of India, Malalai Watt, Shahr-e-Nau, [[Kabul]], [[Afghanistan]]<ref name="Indian Missions Abroad">{{cite web|url=http://india.gov.in/overseas/indian_missions.php |title=Indian Missions Abroad |publisher=India Government |access-date=7 July 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060413182635/http://india.gov.in/overseas/indian_missions.php |archive-date=13 April 2006  }}</ref>
|target=[[India]]n embassy
|date=8 October 2009
|time-begin=8:30 a.m. local time. (0400 GMT)<ref name="Times NOW"/>
|time-end=
|timezone=
|type=[[Suicide attack|Suicide]] [[car bomb]]
|fatalities=17<ref name="ref1"/>
|injuries=83<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE5971PI20091008 |work=Reuters |title=TIMELINE: Major attacks in the Afghan capital |date=8 October 2009 |access-date=8 October 2009  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091017231201/https://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSTRE5971PI20091008 |archive-date=17 October 2009 |url-status=live  }}</ref>
|susperps=
|perps=[[Taliban]]<ref name="ref1"/>
}}
The '''2009 Kabul Indian embassy bombing''' was a [[Suicide attack#Suicide terrorism and suicide bombing|suicide bomb attack]] on the [[India]]n [[embassy]] in [[Kabul]], [[Afghanistan]] on 8 October 2009 at 8:30 am local time. The bombing killed 17 people<ref name="ref1">{{cite web|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/10/2009108531259700.html |title = Afghan blast targets Indian embassy|date=8 October 2009|publisher=Al Jazeera|access-date=8 October 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091008100924/http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/10/2009108531259700.html|archive-date= 8 October 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref> and wounded 63.

== Background ==
{{main|Indo-Afghan relations}}
{{Campaignbox Afghanistan}}
{{Campaignbox 2001 war in Afghanistan}}
The bomb comes following a spike in such attacks in [[Afghanistan]] and amid debate in [[NATO]] countries about sending more [[International Security Assistance Force|ISAF]] troops to fight in "[[Operation Enduring Freedom]]".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/10/20091064451860748.html|title=Gates: US will stay in Afghanistan |publisher=Al Jazeera|date=6 October 2012|access-date=26 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Zeina Khodr in Kabul|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2009/10/200910410429964475.html|title=Afghan war 'needs regional plan' |publisher=Al Jazeera|date=4 October 2012|access-date=26 October 2012}}</ref>

India believed its longtime alliance with Afghanistan, as well as its political and cultural ties, made it less of a target than many [[Western powers]]. However, this confidence was shattered in an attack the previous year where a [[2008 Indian embassy bombing in Kabul|bombing at the embassy]] killed more than 50 people and injured more than 100.<ref name="la times"/><ref name="Suicide blast kills 258 in Kabul">{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/07/07/afghanistan.explosion/index.html|title= Suicide blast kills 28 in Kabul|date=7 July 2008|work=[[CNN]]|publisher=cnn.com|access-date=7 July 2008|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080710065105/http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/07/07/afghanistan.explosion/index.html| archive-date= 10 July 2008 |url-status= live}}</ref><ref name=many>[http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2008/07/20087753022997637.html Many killed in Kabul suicide blast]. ''Al Jazeera''. 7 July 2008.</ref>

== Bombing ==
The attacker struck at about 8:30&nbsp;a.m. when the street—where the embassy and the Afghan Interior Ministry face each other—is normally busy with pedestrians. The Indian foreign secretary said that the attackers "came up to the outside perimeter wall of the embassy with a car loaded with explosives, obviously with the aim of targeting the embassy." However, blast walls built since the previous bombing deflected the force of the explosion. The bomb blew out doors and windows at the embassy but caused no loss of life inside.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aI0sWupzvygo|work=Bloomberg|title=Afghanistan Suicide Bomb Kills 17 Near Indian Embassy (Update2)|date=8 October 2009|access-date=8 October 2009 }}</ref> Though there was damage to the watch tower there was no damage to chancery premises. The bombing was said to be of the same intensity as the previous years bombing.<ref name="toi">{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/india/Some-Indians-hurt-in-Kabul-bombing-Indian-envoy/articleshow/5100948.cms |work=The Times of India |title=Some Indians hurt in Kabul bombing: Indian envoy |url-status=dead |access-date=8 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091010005959/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/india/Some-Indians-hurt-in-Kabul-bombing-Indian-envoy/articleshow/5100948.cms |archive-date=10 October 2009  }}</ref>

An Interior Ministry spokesman, Zemeri Bashary, said the explosion was a suicide bomb, without providing additional details. A bystander, Ahmadullah, said "We heard a big explosion, and smoke was everywhere. They pulled out several dead civilians and a few dozen wounded. One of my friends in [a nearby] house was injured by all the flying glass." Another witness, Nik Mohammad, who was driving in the area, said that the road shook violently and he saw at least four vehicles badly damaged.<ref name="la times">{{cite news|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghanistan-bomb9-2009oct09,0,5600578.story?track=rss |work=The Los Angeles Times |title=Taliban claims responsibility for Kabul embassy attack |date=9 October 2009 |first1=M. Karim |last1=Faiez |first2=Mark |last2=Magnier |access-date=8 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011093233/http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-afghanistan-bomb9-2009oct09%2C0%2C5600578.story?track=rss |archive-date=11 October 2009 |url-status=live  }}</ref>

== Casualties ==
All of the people killed were local people, there were a few Indians injured in the attack. India's ambassador to Afghanistan [[Jayant Prasad]] said that a few Indian security personnel were slightly injured. Reports suggest that Pakistan ISI was involved.<ref name="toi"/>

== Responsibility ==
Within hours of the attack the [[Taliban]] claimed responsibility confirming suspicions that the Indian Embassy was the target. A Taliban spokesperson said the attacker was an Afghan man who blew up his [[sports utility vehicle]] laden with explosives just outside the embassy.<ref>[https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hvWEqwq3CrRvaQCmt21MfoYhjZJQD9B6RKV80 ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091011093332/https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hvWEqwq3CrRvaQCmt21MfoYhjZJQD9B6RKV80 |date=11 October 2009 }}</ref>

[[G. Parthasarathy]], a former diplomat and analyst at the [[Centre for Policy Research]], said that although it was too early to point fingers there was a clear indication that the Taliban sees Indian economic assistance as complementary to American strategic objectives. He said that "Therefore, Indians are targeted. Add to that, their Pakistani mentors are not too happy with our (''sic'') presence in Afghanistan." [[Phunchok Stobdan]], a senior fellow at the [[Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses]], also said that despite being the apparent target of the attack and some prior pressure from Washington to back off, given Pakistani sensitivities—India is still not likely to walk away from its Afghan commitments which include $1.1 billion in ongoing development projects. He said, "No one in India is willing to sacrifice Afghanistan for the sake of Af-Pak strategy. India-Afghan relations are very strong and very old, even during the British period."<ref name="la times"/>

India's previous accusations against the Pakistani spy agency were again brought to fore as speculation started{{By whom|date=May 2011}} that the ISI may have been involved.<ref name="aljazeera2">{{cite news|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/10/2009108203721500226.html|title=Video: Afghans bear brunt of attack |publisher=Al Jazeera|date=8 October 2012|access-date=26 October 2012}}</ref>

== International reaction ==

* {{AFG}} – President [[Hamid Karzai]]'s office condemned the attack, adding that civilians accounted for most of the injured.<ref name="la times"/> The [[Minister of Foreign Affairs (Afghanistan)|Foreign Affairs Ministry]] also condemned the attack on Indian television.<ref name="Times NOW">Times NOW. 8 October 2009.</ref>
* {{USA}} – The [[United States Ambassador to India|U.S. ambassador to India]], [[Timothy Roemer]] said: "Our heart goes out to India, to the victims of terrorism and our prayers are with the people of India today. I want to extend both to the Foreign Secretary and to the people of India the United States of America's support to India, its concern about this bombing which is deeply troubling and as we find out more details we will have more to say."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?667392|title=news.outlookindia.com|publisher=news.outlookindia.com|access-date=26 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006160757/http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?667392|archive-date=6 October 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of attacks on diplomatic missions]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Afghanistan War}}
{{War on Terrorism}}
{{Foreign relations of India}}
{{Foreign relations of Afghanistan}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kabul Indian embassy attack}}

{{#seo:
|keywords=2009 murders in Afghanistan, 2009 in international relations, Suicide bombings in 2009, Attacks on diplomatic missions of India, Mass murder in 2009, Mass murder in Kabul, Taliban attacks, October 2009 events in Asia, October 2009 crimes, Terrorist incidents in Kabul
|description=
}}

[[Category:2009 murders in Afghanistan]]
[[Category:2009 in Afghanistan|Indian embassy bombing]]
[[Category:2009 in international relations]]
[[Category:Suicide bombings in 2009]]
[[Category:Attacks on diplomatic missions in Afghanistan|Indian embassy, 2009 bombing]]
[[Category:Attacks on diplomatic missions of India]]
[[Category:Anti-Indian sentiment in Asia|bombing]]
[[Category:Suicide car and truck bombings in Afghanistan|Indian embassy]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Afghanistan in 2009|Indian embassy in Kabul, 2009 bombing]]
[[Category:Afghanistan–India relations|Bombing embassy]]
[[Category:Massacres in Afghanistan|bombing Indian embassy]]
[[Category:Mass murder in 2009]]
[[Category:Mass murder in Kabul]]
[[Category:2000s in Kabul|Indian embassy]]
[[Category:Taliban attacks]]
[[Category:October 2009 events in Asia]]
[[Category:October 2009 crimes]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Kabul]]
[[Category:Building bombings in Afghanistan|Indian]]