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UN chief slams attack on Pakistan’s military training centre

By IANS,

United Nations: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon Friday condemned the attack at a military training centre in northwest Pakistan, which reportedly killed over 80 people and injured many others, Xinhua quoted UN spokesman Martin Nesirky as saying.

“The secretary-general condemns today’s attack at a military training centre in the northwest of Pakistan,” Nesirky said citing the UN chief’s statement at a daily news briefing.

“The United Nations stands by Pakistan in its efforts to combat terrorism, which continues to claim the lives of so many of its citizens,” Nesirky quoted Ban as saying.

Senior Provincial Minister Bashir Bilour confirmed that 80 people, mostly security men, were killed and around 115 others were injured.

Some 69 military recruits were killed at a time when they had completed one-year training and were ready to assume duties including anti-terror mission, reports said.

“The secretary-general extends his deepest condolences to the government and people of Pakistan and the families of the victims, ” Nesirky said.

Local police said the toll in the twin suicide bombing attacks outside the centre of the Frontier Constabulary in northwest Pakistan has risen to 80, reports said.

The training centre is located in the town of Shabqadar, 35 km from Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa province.

Taliban militant group said the deadly attacks were the first to avenge the May 2 killing of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden by US forces in the Pakistani city of Abbotabad.