Jalalabad blast: India rallies in solidarity with multicultural Afghanistan

Hinting at the hand of the Taliban in the latest bout of violence in Afghanistan which killed 19 people, including Sikhs and Hindus, India described the blast in Jalalabad as an attack on the nation’s “multi-cultural fabric” and underlined its solidarity with the Afghan people. “We strongly condemn the terror attacks in Afghanistan yesterday. They are an attack on Afghanistan’s multicultural fabric,” Mr Modi said in a message on Twitter. “My thoughts are with the bereaved families. I pray that the injured recover soon. India stands ready to assist the Afghanistan government in this sad hour,” he added. At least 19 people, including Hindus and Sikhs, were killed in a blast in Jalalabad on July 1 Condemning the blast, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj expressed India’s solidarity with Afghanistan “in this hour of tragedy.” She will meet the relatives of 11 Sikhs, who were killed in the blast, in New Delhi on July 2. In a statement, the Indian Embassy in Kabul said that the attack in Jalalabad again “underlines the need for united global fight against international terrorism without discrimination and accountability of those who support terrorists in any manner.” India is one of the top contributors to the reconstruction of Afghanistan and has pledged around $2.5 billion for a host of development projects in the violence-ravaged nation. The Indian government has been constantly in touch with Kabul to bolster the security of over 2,500 Indians who live and work in Afghanistan.