Target U.S. consulate Perpetrators Taliban Location Herat, Afghanistan Attack type Mass shooting | Non-fatal injuries 20 Start date September 13, 2013 Perpetrator Taliban Weapons Car bomb, Assault rifle | |
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Deaths 8 Attackers, 8 Guards, and 1 Afghan Police Officer Similar 2014 attack on Indian consulate, 2015 Khost suicide bombing, 22 August 2015 Kabul suicide b, 2007 Baghlan sugar fact, 2008 Kandahar bombing | ||
The U.S. consulate in Herat, Afghanistan was attacked on September 13, 2013 by a group of Taliban militants. Reports indicated that the assault began at 5:30 am on the front gate of the consulate. A large truck drove up to the Consulate's primary vehicle entry point and detonated. a massive improvised explosive charge, causing extensive damage. A minivan carrying an assault team armed with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades arrived and opened fire, moving into the Consulate compound. Then the driver of the minivan ignited a bomb inside the minivan, which exploded a short time afterwards. Eight Afghan members of the Consulate's guard force and one Afghan police officer were killed and an unknown number of bystanders were wounded. A gunbattle ensued, and all seven attackers were killed. No Americans were killed or seriously injured. The Department of State awarded Heroism Awards to several of the consulate's defenders.
The Taliban took credit for the attack in an emailed statement.
In a press release, the United Nations condemned the attack "in the strongest terms."