ISI behind plot to target Indian Consulate: Afghan govt

Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence was behind the terror plot to target the Indian Consulate General in Jalalabad and had given Rs 120 crore for the operation, two persons arrested by Afghan authorities said.

The two confessed that ISI had given them the money to carry out the attack, Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security spokesperson Luftullah Mashal told mediapersons.

At a joint press conference with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described as "worrisome" reports that the Indian mission was the target of a terror plot in Afghanistan.

"If what you have stated is true, well it is worrisome," Singh said when asked to comment on the plot. Mashal said the men were given a vehicle and weapons apart from Pakistani Rs 120 crore to carry out the attack.

"As I said in my introductory remarks, peace and security in the region requires all countries of the region to think afresh the futility of having recourse to terrorism as an instrument of state policy," the Prime Minister said.

Singh, here on a two-day visit here, today held talks with Karzai on a wide range of issues including terrorism and India's assistance to the war-torn country.

The Indian embassy in Kabul was attacked by terrorists in 2008. That terror attack and another on the diplomatic mission of the country, a year later killed scores.

Militants attacked two residential hotels in Kabul, last year, that were popular among Indians in which at least six Indians were killed.

Commenting on the attacks on Indian missions in Afghanistan, President Karzai said these were tragic, unfortunate and criminal.

"With regard to very tragic attack on Indian embassies and Indian doctors and personnel in Afghanistan, helping Afghanistan people in various areas of reconstruction and health assistance, this was really tragic and unfortunate and criminal," he said.