More security for Indian missions

KABUL, Afghanistan, July 15 (UPI) -- India may send more paramilitary soldiers to Afghanistan to protect its diplomatic missions following the recent attack on its embassy in Kabul.

The government may consider adding to its 400-member force there after National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan hinted at the possibility of more attacks, India's Economic Times reported.

A decision will be taken after Indian Foreign Secretary Shiv Shanker Menon, who returned Monday after a two-day trip to Kabul, makes his assessment, the report said.

The current 400-man Indian border police provides security to the Indian Embassy and its consulates in Jalalabad, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharief and Hirat, as well as for Indian infrastructure projects in that country.

"Let us see what the assessment is like ... If need be, we will surely augment the (force) strength in Afghanistan," Indian Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta was quoted as saying.

Any deployment would be done only after consultations with Kabul, the report said.

Pakistan denied its spy agency had a hand in the embassy attack after Narayanan said there had been a fair amount of intelligence inputs about the involvement of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence in the incident.