There were no casualties among the people inside the consulate. On Christmas Eve, ISIS-K released a video called “Khorasan: Graveyard of the Apostates” showing gun and bomb attacks and executions purportedly conducted by the group in several regions in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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And the group is still made up mostly of fighters who simply switched allegiance from the Taliban or other insurgent groups, so they have not yet significantly increased pressure on Afghan forces, he said.
Nangarhar, the province in which Jalalabad is located, has become the main Afghan stronghold of IS, which has battled the Taliban for leadership of the Islamist insurgency, attracting many former Taliban militants. Afghan officials have acknowledged that the group, which recently launched its own radio station in Nangahar, is growing stronger.
On Wednesday, Ghani telephoned Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to express his “concern and grief” over the attack, according to a statement from Sharif’s office. He assured Mr Sharif that security for Pakistani diplomats posted in Afghanistan would be enhanced.
Khan, however, said the consulate would open as usual on Thursday, though the visa section would remain closed over the weekend as they assess the extent of damage caused by the attack and effect repairs. The latest attack comes close on the heels of four-country talks in Islamabad aimed at reviving stalled peace talks with the Taliban.
Pakistan’s foreign office said in a statement it was in contact with its embassy in Kabul as well as Afghan officials, but could offer no further information.
But a report in Dawn online newspaper said the fighting erupted near the Pakistani consulate after a suicide bomber blew himself up, killing as many as six people.
At least 10 others, including three Afghan civilians, were wounded in the battle.
Dreaded terror outfit Islamic State (ISIS) has claimed responsibility of the attack on Pakistani consulate earlier in the day in Jalalabad.
Besides this, two gunmen, barricaded inside a house near consulate were also killed ending the siege, Geo TV said quoting Deputy Interior Minister Ayoub Salangi.
“This is a highly symbolic attack as the Pakistani consulate is a high-profile installation in Jalalabad”.
“Many terrorist groups might not see peace as being in their best interests”, Mahmood said. The extent of actual militant involvement in attacks can also be hard to verify.
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The explosion triggered a gunbattle between Afghan security forces and the militants.
