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The wider storyWhat happened during the 2013 Herat Consulate attack?A detailed breakdown of the tactical sequence, casualties, and immediate responses following the Taliban assault on the U.S. consulate in Herat on September 13, 2013.Read the full history Key facts about the 2013 Herat US consulate attack
| Event | Taliban militants assault U.S. consulate in Herat |
|---|---|
| Date | September 13, 2013 |
| Location | Herat, Afghanistan |
| Key Figure | Sharon Behn, who reported on the attack for CBS News. |
| Source Detail | The assault began at 5:30 am with a truck detonating an improvised explosive charge at the front gate. |
| Confirmed Outcome | All seven attackers were killed, and no Americans were killed or seriously injured. |
The Disaster and Its Immediate Cause
At 5:30 am on September 13, 2013, a large truck drove to the primary vehicle entry point of the U.S. consulate in Herat, Afghanistan, and detonated a massive improvised explosive charge. The blast caused extensive damage to the front gate area before a minivan carrying an assault team arrived on the scene.
The assault team, armed with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, opened fire and moved into the consulate compound. The driver of the minivan then ignited a bomb inside the vehicle, which exploded shortly after the team had entered the grounds, marking the second major detonation in the attack sequence.
First Reports From the Scene
Mohammad Sharif, a security guard for a private Afghan security company, described the sequence of events from a hospital in Herat. He reported that he was making a phone call when the second explosion occurred just as he was preparing to hand duties to the guard at the front gate.
Sharif noted that six to twelve guards were present at the time of the attack. He stated that the entire truck exploded, damaging the gate area, while eyewitnesses reported that the initial explosion rocked the walls of nearby buildings in the Herat district.
Rescue, Response, and Fallout
The immediate aftermath of Herat began as soon as events on September 13, 2013 were over. Casualty reports confirmed that eight Afghan members of the consulate's guard force and one Afghan police officer were killed in the assault. An unknown number of bystanders were wounded, with reports indicating that about 20 civilians were injured during the incident.
In the immediate aftermath, the United Nations condemned the attack in the strongest terms. The U.S. Department of State subsequently awarded Heroism Awards to several of the consulate's defenders for their actions during the siege. No Americans were killed or seriously injured in the event.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the September 13, 2013, assault in an emailed statement.
Analysis: 2013 Herat US consulate attack
What the evidence supports and leaves unresolved
What the record supports
- Institutional Recognition: The U.S. Department of State formally acknowledged the defense of the consulate by awarding Heroism Awards to several of the defenders.
Limits and unresolved questions
- Casualty Uncertainty: Reports regarding the number of wounded bystanders remain inconsistent, with sources citing an unknown number of injuries alongside estimates of about 20 civilians injured during the September 13, 2013 incident.
Evidence Map: How We Checked the Central Claim
What the sources verify and how they were used
This comparison separates the event page selected for the account from the independently verified page used to corroborate it.
Central claim checked: Taliban insurgents attack the United States consulate in Herat, Afghanistan, with two members of the Afghan National Police reported dead and about 20 civilians injured.
| Direct source | Verification role | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 Herat US consulate attack · Wikipedia Accessed 2026-09-13 | Selected event record | Supports the central claim shown above. |
| Taliban Militants Attack US Consulate in Afghanistan · voanews.com Accessed 2026-09-13 | Independent corroboration | Supports the central claim shown above. |
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What happened in the 2013 attack on the US consulate in Herat?
The recorded event date is September 13, 2013.
Key figures included Sharon Behn.
The U.S. Department of State formally acknowledged the defense of the consulate by awarding Heroism Awards to several of the defenders.