Suspected Taliban militants on Saturday targeted Indian construction workers in south west Afghanistan, killing two personnel of Border Roads Organisation and injuring five in a suicide attack.
M P Singh and C Govindaswamy were killed on the spot when the suicide bomber driving a vehicle rammed into the construction workers near Minar area in Nimroz province at around 9 am.
Five others -- Bishram Oroan, Vikram Singh, Muhammad Nazin Khan, Anil Kumar Thampi and Mayaram were injured in the attack, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said.
The injured have been moved to Zaranj for medical attention and arrangements are being made for immediate evacuation of the dead bodies and those wounded, he said.
Agency report from Herat said a man claiming to be Taliban spokesman had said his outfit was behind the attack.
The man, identifying himself as Yousuf Ahmadi, said the Taliban first detonated two mines and then a suicide bomber blew himself up.
Nearly 400 BRO personnel are engaged in construction of a crucial 218-km highway between Zaranj and Delaram in Afghanistan as part of India's assistance programme for reconstruction of the war-torn country.
Strongly condemning the terror attack, the spokesman underlined New Delhi's 'determination to continue to work with the Afghan people and government for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Afghanistan and the well-being of the Afghan people.'
Conveying the government's deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the terror attack, Sarna said families of the deceased and wounded are being contacted for immediate disbursement of compensation and insurance.
Taliban has been opposed to India's five-year-old engagement in development and reconstruction work in Afghanistan and have been issuing threats from time to time.
Three Indians, associated with construction work in Afghanistan, have been killed and at least four injured in Taliban attacks since 2005.
In December 2005, the Taliban kidnapped and killed a BRO driver M R Kutty, with a demand that all Indians should leave the country.
After the incident, India had sent about 300 ITBP personnel to provide security to the construction workers. The Taliban also carried out a suicide attack at a convoy of Indian construction workers in Nimroz in first week of January, killing two ITBP personnel and injuring four others guarding them.