Since the year 2010 attacks by Haqqani Network and Talibans on Indian targets in Afghanistan have consistently dropped barring few serious attacks. But yesterday's abduction of 7 Indian engineers in Baghlan has very different meaning and smell. Most probably it's warning shot fired by Haqqanis to force China and India to think twice before executing the joint project in Afghanistan, as declared in Wuhan Agreement.
Just a few days ago international media was abuzz with news of informal Wuhan Summit between Indian PM Modi and Chinese President Jinping. The summit was highly unexpected, which shocked many in Pakistan and Afghanistan for a most obvious reason. India and China declared that they are about to work on the joint project in Afghanistan. Pakistan has serious reservations over Indian activities there, which Pakistan thinks as its strategic backyard. The said joint project; which is yet to take shape, would seriously undermine Pakistani interests and its tight hold on deep assets within Afghanistan like Haqqani Network and Taliban.
Pakistan has regularly exploited these deep assets by hitting hard on Indian projects, workers, diplomats and defence attach in the past. Recent declaration at Wuhan badly rattled Pakistan for the same reason. Once China is involved with India in its neighbourhood, it would be very difficult, seemingly impossible for Haqqanis to selectively target Indians without hurting Chinese. China is the biggest lender for Pakistan these days and it's highly impossible for Pakistan just to think about losing it.
India has consistently opposed China's flagship BRI project and CPEC in Pakistan which is infringing Indian sovereignty while passing through Pakistan Occupied Kashmir- PoK.
Indians have vociferously expressed their anguish for trespassing its territory in PoK while executing $ 76 Billion CPEC. So recent Wuhan agreement on joint investment in Afghanistan has much larger, broader and serious meanings which would leave far fetching repercussions on Pakistan.
Here is the short look at attacks on Indian targets in Afghanistan since the year 2010, the majority of these attacks were low intensity one, with just symbolic meaning. But few really serious and inflicted huge damage to Indians.
In 2010 serious terror strike occurred on Indians in Afghanistan in which Indian Army's two major and many assistants killed, when Haqqani/ Taliban terrorists struck Kabul hotel. Among that killed one was Major Dr Laishram Jyotin Singh of Army Medical Corps and another was Major Deepak Yadav of Army Education Corps. It was serious incidence after two high ranking Indian officers killed by Haqqanis in Afghanistan in the year 2008, in which senior diplomat V. Venkateswara Rao and Indian Defence attache Brigadier Ravi Datt Mehta lost their lives in Kabul.
The year 2011 and 12 were totally peaceful for Indians when no strikes occurred against Indian targets in Afghanistan during two consecutive years.
In 2013 Indian author Sushmita Banerjee was assassinated by Taliban and Indian consulate in Jalalabad came under killing scores of Afghans including children. No Indian causality reported in the incidence.
The year 2014 was most happening for Indians in Afghanistan when dozens of incidences reported against Indians including an attack on Herat consulate, abduction and killing of Indians.
In 2015 Indian ambassador Amar Sinha escaped by a whisker but 4 Indians including 14 others lost their lives when Haqqanis struck guesthouse where Indian top envoy to visit. Indian Catholic priest Father Alexis Premkumar Antonysamy was abducted by Taliban same year only to release later. The same year Haqqanis plans to attack Jalalabad's Indian consulate thwarted by Afghanistan agencies. The attack was to take place coinciding PM Modi's Kabul visit slated in December.
2016 experienced multiple attacks on Indian installations in Jalalabad and Mazar-e-Sharif and scores of Indians lost their lives.
The year 2017 reported just one incidence of a rocket attack on Indian ambassador's residence in Kabul. Though no fatality reported as rocket missed the target and landed in a tennis court.
The year 2018 was so far normal for Indians barring one incidence when once again Haqqani rocket missed the target of Indian Embassy in Kabul.