By KUNA,
United Nations : Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon late Sunday condemned “in the strongest terms” the assassination attempt earlier in the day against Afghan President Hamid Karzai at a victory parade in Kabul.
The attack resulted in the death of two members of parliament and injuries to nine bystanders, including two Afghan National Police. In a statement he issued from Switzerland where he is on an official visit, Ban said the attack against the legitimate institutions of the Afghan State and its people is “unacceptable.” “I would like to express again the United Nations’ support for the reconstruction of Afghanistan through legitimate state institutions, in a manner that addresses the needs of the most vulnerable and that provides both justice and security,” he said.
He called on the international community and the Afghan Government to continue their joint efforts towards these goals, “undeterred by vicious” attacks such as the one today.
He congratulated the Afghan security forces for reacting quickly to the attack, preventing further loss of life, and protecting the Afghan officials and foreign diplomats attending the event.
The attack in Kabul brought back to memory the similar circumstances during which late President Anwar Al-Sadat of Egypt was assassinated in 1981 by Islamists.