Kabul: Indian medical mission suspends operations

Operations of the Indian medical mission in Kabul have been suspended as most of its staff members were either injured or killed in last week's terror attack in the Afghan capital. Sources said there was no adequate staff to run the mission as one of them was killed and some others of the 11-member team were injured in the February 26 attack.

They, however, asserted that the mission would not be wound up and operations would resume as soon as adequate staff is available again. There had been no downsizing of the embassy staff either, the sources said.

The Indian medical mission of six doctors and five paramedics was functioning from the Indira Gandhi Child Care Hospital set up in Kabul under India's assistance programme. However, the facility of telemedicine will continue to be available to Afghans from Chandigarh's PGI and a Lucknow hospital, the sources said.

Seven Indians, including three Major-rank officers of the Army, were among the 18 people killed in the attack that targeted guest houses in the heart of Kabul frequented by Indians.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said the February 26 'cowardly' act of terrorists, to target Indians who were on a goodwill mission in Kabul, would not 'bend the will' of India to help the people of Afghanistan.

Though the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack, Afghan intelligence agencies suspect that Pakistani terror outfit Lashkar-e-Tayiba was behind the terror strike.