Gunmen armed with heavy weapons including rocket propelled grenades on Friday attacked the Indian Consulate in Afghanistan's Herat province during which three attackers were killed, top Indian officials said.

However, TV reports further claimed that the fourth gunman has also been killed by the security forces.

All the diplomatic staff were safe.

Three gunmen were killed, one by ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) and two by Afghan police, out of four attackers who struck the Consulate which houses two buildings, Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Amar Sinha said.

PM-designate Narendra Modi spoke to Amar Sinha and assured all help.

Modi also spoke to Afghan President Hamid Karzai and thanked him for the efforts of Afghan forces in thwarting the attack.

"President Karzai & I talked about Consulate attack in Herat.

He assured me he will do everything to protect India's Missions in Afghanistan," Modi tweeted later.

He also praised the consulate staff in Herat and thanked the security forces for thwarting the terror attack.
Afghan security forces watch a house burn at the site of a clash between insurgents and security forces at the Indian Consulate in Herat
Afghan security forces watch a house burn at the site of a clash between insurgents and security forces at the Indian Consulate in Herat

Karzai is among the leaders expected to attend Modi's swearing in as prime minister on Monday, May 26 .

In a pre-dawn assault, the gunmen attacked the building which houses the residence of Consulate General, Sinha said, adding that there were nine Indians in the mission apart from local Afghans.

One attacker was killed while climbing the wall to enter the premises of the consulate, Sinha said.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi said, "India's Consulate in Herat, Afghanistan attacked.

 Afghanistan has experienced a rise in the Taliban attacks as foreign troops plan to withdraw from the war-torn country by the end of the year.

 In August last year, a failed bombing against the Indian Consulate in Jalalabad city near the border with Pakistan killed nine people, including six children.