Siege on Indian embassy in Mazar-i-Sharif ends, blasts near Jalalabad

An explosion was reported on Tuesday in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad close to foreign consulate buildings including those of India, Pakistan and Iran, a spokesman for the provincial governor said. The explosion was reported 400 metres from the Indian consulate in Jalalabad. An official said there were no reports of casualties from the blast, which followed an attack on the Indian consulate in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif on Sunday. The target of the attack was not immediately clear and there was no claim of responsibility. Earlier in the day, officials said that Afghan special forces have ended a standoff with gunmen holed up near the Indian consulate in Mazar-i-Sharif and have killed all the attackers after a 24-hour gunbattle. The standoff began on Sunday night in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, when three gunmen tried to storm the consulate, and then retreated into an adjacent, four-story building. Later, Afghan troops rappelled from helicopters onto the roof of the building to drive out the gunmen.