One dead, five injured in US consulate attack in Afghanistan
Taliban militants attacked a US consulate in western Afghanistan Friday, killing an Afghan guard and injuring six others, police said. ● "Two attackers detonated their explosives-laden truck at the first entrance of the US consulate at 5:30 am (0100 GMT) in Herat city, injuring four guards of a private security company and two policemen," Rahmatullah Safi, police chief for Herat province said. "Following the explosion, three others who were in another vehicle opened fire on the guards," Safi told dpa. "One of the injured guards died due to bleeding," he said.The three remaining assailants were killed when the police returned fire, he said. Another police officer said consulate staff were evacuated by helicopter, but Safi denied this, saying the diplomats were safe inside the compound. Earlier news reports said three security personnel were killed. The US State Department confirmed the attack, but not the casualties.