Afghanistan: UN mission condemns suicide attack in Panjshir province

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has strongly condemned the suicide car bombing which took place yesterday in the central eastern province of Panjshir, killing at least 15 people – including seven civilians.

“The killing of civilians is reprehensible and should be roundly condemned,” Mark Bowden, the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and acting head of UNAMA, said of the incident, in which more than a dozen people were also injured, including civilians, with casualties expected to rise in the coming days.

According to reports, a car laden with explosives detonated at a security check-point at an entrance to the province on Thursday afternoon. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack on their website, UNAMA said in a statement issued today in Kabul.

“Indiscriminate attacks which kill and injure civilians may amount to war crimes and are serious breaches of international humanitarian law which binds all parties to the armed conflict in Afghanistan” Mr. Bowden added.

Through its statement, the UN Mission extended its condolences to the families of all of those killed and wished a speedy recovery for the injured.