Secretary-General ‘Outraged and Deeply Saddened’ as Taliban Claim Responsibility for Deadly Attack in Afghanistan

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General is outraged and deeply saddened by the Taliban-claimed complex attack that took place on 1 July in a civilian-populated area of Kabul.  According to preliminary findings, the explosives set off at the outset of the attack caused more than 100 civilian casualties, including women and children.  The explosives also damaged schools and other civilian infrastructure in the immediate vicinity.

The Secretary-General reiterates that international humanitarian law explicitly prohibits indiscriminate attacks and attacks directed against civilians, and appeals to all parties to the conflict in Afghanistan to uphold their obligations to protect civilians.

The Secretary-General expresses his deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of Afghanistan.  He wishes a speedy recovery to those injured.