Amar Sinha, India's envoy to Afghanistan. Image credit: ariananews.af Amar Sinha, India's envoy to Afghanistan. Image credit: ariananews.af

India's envoy to Afghanistan, Amar Sinha, was the target of a coordinated attack launched by four Taliban gunmen at a guest house late on Wednesday night. Four Indian nationals and one American national were killed when the militants stormed a guest house in Kabul at around 9 pm IST.

President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani's special envoy for good governance Ahmad Zia Massoud visited the scene of the attack late on Wednesday night and said the Indian ambassador was the target of the "political attack".

Ambassador Sinha was attending a reception at the house of the Indian military attache when the attack took place. The reception included several prominent Afghan military personnel, governors and ministers. Also read: 4 Indians among 9 foreigners killed in Kabul guesthouse attack



The four terrorists attacked the Park Palace guest house in Kabul's Kolola Pushta area at around 8:30 pm local time on Wednesday. Explosions and bursts of gunfire were heard as terrorists went from room to room searching for people to kill. All four terrorists were killed by Afghan security forces who stormed the guest house and engaged them in a seven-hour gunbattle. Forty foreign nationals were also rescued from the guest house. Two unexploded suicide vests were recovered and defused by Afghan security personnel from the location .

A security official earlier said a musical event was due to be organized in the event which was due to be attended by the Turkish and Indian guests as well Afghan nationals.

This is the fifth targeted attack against Indian nationals in Afghanistan and the most recent since the May 2014 attack where four gunmen attempted to storm the Indian consulate in Herat. It signifies a shift in Taliban tactics, from car bombings to commando-style attacks. Also read: Modi expresses concern over attack on Kabul guesthouse

The Indian embassy in Kabul was attacked twice, in 2008 and 2009, killing over 70 people. The Indian consulate in Jalalabad was also attacked by a car bomb in 2013.

