By KUNA
United Nations : The Security Council and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon late Sunday strongly condemned the suicide attack earlier in the day that caused over 80 deaths in the province of Kandahar, Afghanistan.
In a statement to the press, Council President Ricardo Alberto Arias of Panama said the council condemned “in the strongest terms” the suicide attack in the province and noted “with dismay” that it was one of the deadliest in Afghanistan in recent years.
The attack at a dog-fighting event targeted innocent civilians, including children, and police officers.
The council reiterated that no terrorist act can reverse the path towards peace, democracy, and reconstruction in Afghanistan, which is supported by the people and the Government of Afghanistan and the international community.
It underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers, and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism to justice, and urged all states to cooperate actively with the Afghan authorities in this regard.
It also reiterated its concern at the increasing threat to the local population, national security forces, international military, and international assistance efforts posed by the Taliban, Al-Qaida, illegal armed groups, criminals, and those involved in the narcotics trade.
The Secretary-General also strongly condemned the suicide attack in the province, noting that it was yet another tragic reminder of the insecurity in Afghanistan that is undermining concerted attempts by the Government of Afghanistan to rebuild the country with the assistance of the international community after decades of war.
The contrast between those who take innocent lives so brutally and senselessly and those working with Afghanistan’s government and people to build a better future “could not be more stark,” his press office said in a statement.
No grievance or political purpose can justify such attacks, the statement added.