Annan condemns Tel Aviv suicide bombing in "strongest possible terms"

Reacting to the suicide bombing in Israel, Secretary-General Kofi Annan has deplored the "horrible" act, which, he said, only underscored the pressing need to cut the chain of violence in the region.

In a statement issued following the bombing in Tel Aviv late on Friday night, a spokesman for the Secretary-General said that Mr. Annan "condemns this indiscriminate terrorist attack in the strongest possible terms."

Mr. Annan took the occasion to point to the larger implications of the deadly explosion, which reportedly took the lives of some 18 people and injured scores of others.

"This horrible event underlines the urgency of breaking the cycle of violence," the statement said.

The Secretary-General also extended condolences to all the families affected by the tragedy.