International community condemns Kabul suicide attack

The suicide bombing outside the Indian Embassy in Kabul was condemned on Thursday, by various nations, including the UK, US and Pakistan, who described the attack as "deeply troubling" and "awful".

In an apparent reference to Pakistan, Afghanistan said the suicide bomb attack was "planned and implemented from outside the borders of Afghanistan" and the matter was being investigated. Terming the attack, which killed 17 people and injured nearly 80 others, including three Indo-Tibetan Border Police jawans, as "deeply troubling", US Ambassador Timothy Roemer also extended US support to India. "Our heart goes out to India, to the victims of terrorism and our prayers are with the people of India today," Roemer told reporters in New Delhi.

Condemning the suicide attack, Pakistan said it was carried out by elements who want to damage relations between India and Pakistan and sabotage coalition peace efforts in Afghanistan. Islamabad hoped the incident would not affect cooperation against terrorism between India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The powerful blast blew up the mission watch tower, destroyed vehicles and left a trail of death and destruction.

British High Commissioner to India Richard Stagg said, "I condemn unreservedly the awful attack which took place in Kabul earlier on Thursday. Our thoughts and condolences are with the injured and with the families of those killed.

A statement from Afghanistan Foreign Ministry said the attack was "planned and implemented from outside of Afghan borders" by the same elements who carried out the July 7, 2008 suicide bombing at the Indian Embassy. While the Indian Embassy staff was safe, the three ITBP personnel suffered "slight injuries" in the attack, second in 15 months.

Roemer, meanwhile, also said "these kind of bombings are deeply concerning to the American people and its all the more reason, why the US and India are working together, not just in bilateral ways but in strategic global ways to cooperate to take on some of the scourge of this radical elements that can bomb and kill innocent people."