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UN reports seven of its personnel injured in Bali attack

UN reports seven of its personnel injured in Bali attack

Seven United Nations personnel were injured by the terrorist blast that rocked Bali, Indonesia, over the weekend, according to a spokesperson for the world body.

Citing reports from the field, UN spokesperson Hua Jiang told the press in New York that three of those injured - two civilian police and a military officer - "have suffered serious burns" while the other four endured injuries described as "relatively minor." In addition, two military members of the mission remain unaccounted for.

All those wounded were serving with the UN peacekeeping mission in Timor-Leste, known as UNMISET. Personnel from the mission often pass through Bali on their way to and from the capital, Dili, or visit the island while on leave. At the time of the attacks, up to 155 UNMISET personnel were reported to be in, or transiting through, Bali.

UNMISET has sent a small team, consisting of a chaplain, a stress counsellor and a logistics officer to assist the mission's staff in Bali and facilitate their quick return to Timor-Leste.

In a related development, the President of the UN General Assembly, Jan Kavan of the Czech Republic, today added his voice to other UN officials condemning the attack, including Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who today denounced it as "brutal and inhumane."

Mr. Kavan called on all States to fight terrorism, and said such attacks "cannot be excused for any reason or by any ideology," according to his spokesman, who added that the President "hopes for a swift investigation and punishment of those responsible."