By NNN-Bernama,
New Delhi : India on Tuesday said Afghanistan remains a “vulnerable” area for Indian assets as the government plans to provide more and better security to its nationals posted in the war-ravaged country, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.
“There were intelligence alerts that Indian assets may be targeted, following which adequate steps were taken but Afghanistan is a vulnerable area,” Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said on Friday’s attack in Kabul in which six Indians lost their lives.
The Home Minister’s comments comes close on the heels of a government move to send another contingent of Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel to strengthen security of Indian interests in war-torn Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan government has agreed to the Indian demand of sending more security forces to guard vital installations and ongoing development projects, which have become the target of terror groups operating in the region.
The Home Ministry is also planning to move Indian officials, including doctors, to safer locations in Afghanistan after terrorists struck at two hotels on Friday in which Indians engaged in developmental and reconstruction works were hit, official sources said.
Realising that the Taliban and their associates have started targeting Indian officials who are in the field and are vulnerable, India has begun a review of their security.
There are about 4,000 Indians engaged in such projects — being implemented as part of India’s developmental assistance to the tune of US$1.3 billion to Afghanistan.
A team of investigators is already in Kabul, joining a probe being conducted by Afghan authorities into last Friday’s terror attack.