A suicide bomber has rammed the outer wall of the German consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif city in northern Afghanistan. As result, two people were killed and 60 others were wounded.
The Afghan Security Forces investigate at the site of explosion near the German consulate office in Mazar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan November 11, 2016 (Photo: Reuters / Anil Usyan)
The outer wall of the German consulate in the northern Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif was rammed by a car bomb. As a result of the attack, for which the Taliban claimed responsibility, at least two people were killed and 60 others were wounded. According to local police chief Sayed Kamal Sadat, all German personnel at the compound was rescued. After the incident, the building was secured by the NATO forces.
“The suicide attacker rammed his explosives-laden car into the wall of the German consulate in the city,” Sadat told the AFP news agency.
Initial reports suggest Nos of casualties caused by glass shattered. explosion carried out within a truck while gunfire still heard #Mazar pic.twitter.com/FInOBKHtPL
— Shakib (@shaakib) 10 ноября 2016 г.
According to the Bundeswehr Joint Forces Operations Command, the attack was launched about 23:05 local time. As a representative of German military told the Reuters news agency, shots were heard outside the consulate, and NATO deployed a response team from a military base, located near the city. According to reports, the area was cordoned by the Afghan Special Forces, and military helicopters flew around.
Helicopters are still flying over #Mazar now, something residents of the city haven’t witnessed for years. Security check-points all over — Tahir Qadiry (@tahirqadiry) 10 ноября 2016 г.
According to local journalist Tahir Qadiry, shots were fired by German soldiers, who tried to prevent anyone from approaching the compound.
I am told firing from inside the #German consulate was done by the German soldiers to stop anyone coming close to the consulate #Mazar blast
— Tahir Qadiry (@tahirqadiry) 10 ноября 2016 г.
The “fighting outside and on the premises of the consulate” was also confirmed by the German Foreign Ministry. The department also noted that the attack had successfully been repelled. Spokesman for the Afghan government Munir Farhad also confirmed the attack and pointed out that shattering glass from surrounding buildings was a reason of the majority of wounds.
#Mazar: The attack on the GER Consulate General is over. We are grateful to the brave Afghan+@ResoluteSupport forces for their intervention.
— GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) 10 ноября 2016 г.
As a spokesman for the NATO forces in Mazar-i-Sharif noted, two car bombs could be involved in the attack on the consulate, as “there are massive damages” on the building.
Responsibility for the bombing has been taken by the Taliban. According to spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, the attack was a revenge for an airstrike in Kunduz, carried out last week and killed about 30 civilians, Dutch BNO news reported.
As Reuters reported, citing a source in the German Foreign Ministry, country’s Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier assembled a crisis task force on Thursday.