Afghanistan: top UN envoy speaks out against ‘abhorrent’ attack on deminers

The top United Nations envoy to Afghanistan today said that he is both appalled and saddened by an “abhorrent” attack on a group of deminers which claimed five lives and injured seven others.

Two unknown assailants on a motorcycle opened fire yesterday on a 12-person team working for the Afghan Technical Consultants, a partner of the UN Mine Action Centre for Afghanistan (UNMACA).

“Deminers put their lives at risk every day to ensure the safety of Afghanistan’s communities,” Bo Asplund, the Secretary-General’s Acting Special Representative, said in a statement issued in Kabul. “It is abhorrent that anyone would target individuals working to free the people of Afghanistan from the scourge of landmines.”

The attack took place in Chimtal district in Balkh province, situated in the north of the war-ravaged country.

Mr. Asplund paid tribute to the deminers, extending his condolences to the families of those affected by yesterday’s attack.