April 13, 2008	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 6, 1429

New Delhi, April 12: India responded resolutely to the killing of two Indian workers in a suicide attack in southern Afghanistan on Saturday saying its work in the reconstruction of the country could not be derailed by Taliban militias.

Expressing outrage over the killing of two road construction workers near the Minar area in Nimroz province by suspected Taliban, India Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here that New Delhi would never succumb to any threats by the militia. He added that measures would be taken to protect Indians working in that country.

‘’We will take necessary measures to safeguard security of Indians working in Afghanistan,’’ Mr Mukherjee told reporters. He said the five persons injured in the attack would be brought back to India for treatment. ‘’Despite the Taliban attack, India will remain firm on its stand and not succumb to the pressures of the militia,’’ he said.

Suspected Taliban militants on Saturday killed two personnel of Border Roads Organisation and injured five in a suicide attack near in Nimroz province.

Earlier, Press Trust of India quoted Indian Defence Minister A K Antony as saying in the southern state of Kerala that the tragedy had struck when the road construction was in its final states. When his Afghan counterpart was in New recently, India had expressed concern over the security threat faced by Indian workers engaged in the rehabilitation process in Afghanistan, Mr Antony said.

“It is a rude shock. This tragedy has happened when the road construction was in its final phase. We are in constant touch with the Afghan government’’, he said.