LeT behind attack on Indian consulate in Herat: Karzai

Terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba is behind the attack on the Indian Consulate in Herat, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai said on Monday.

"According to information given to us by a Western intelligence agency, the perpetrators of the Herat attack belonged to the LeT. This was mentioned in writing in the report shared with us," he said.

President Karzai is in India to participate in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony.

He complimented the Indo-Tibetan Border Police personnel and the Afghan National Security Forces for their prompt response in neutralising the terrorists.

"Herat (incident) was very clearly a terrorist strike on Indian and Afghan interests. Luckily, the Indian and Afghan security forces were alert and they prevented major damage to life and property," he told Headlines Today.

In response to a query on India and Afghanistan being victims of Pakistan-sponsored terror, President Karzai said "both Afghanistan and India hope that relevant authorities in Pakistan will react and uproot the source and sanctuary of terror in Pakistan".

A press release issued by Headlines Today quoted Karzai as saying that India has been a great friend of Afghanistan and has stood by the people of Afghanistan in the past 12 years.

"We have given a weapons wish list to the Government of India, some have been accepted and delivered and we are confident Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi will consider it favourably," he said.

Karzai said the 2014 drawdown of US-led international troops from Afghanistan is not a threat but an opportunity.

"2014 for us is an opportunity and a great one to build on our strengths and show to the world that the nation is now self-reliant of course with the help, support and guidance of friends like India", Karzai said.

He discounted fears that post drawdown, Pakistan could once again install a puppet Taliban government in Kabul for gaining strategic depth.

"That fear is completely unfounded but all powers in the region need to come together and repel and defeat the forces of terror," he said.