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KABUL: A recent attack on the United Nations headquarters in Herat city on Friday has drawn global condemnations.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) strongly condemned an attack in its main compound in the western Afghan province of Herat on Friday that left an Afghan police guard dead and other officers injured.
Associate Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Eri Kaneko, has said those behind the attack must be identified and punished.
UNAMA has said terrorists clearly intended to attack the UN mission because they targeted it with artillery and grenades.
Debora Lyons, head of the UN mission in Afghanistan, called the attack on the organization’s headquarters “shameful”.
The Afghan delegation to the United Nations has said it has received credible reports of civilian casualties and is investigating the extent of civilian casualties.
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan condemned the attack, saying “the United Nations is a civilian organization in Afghanistan that focuses solely on supporting peace and advancing the rights of all Afghans and working to achieve humanitarian and development goals.”
In a statement, Jake Sullivan called on “all regional actors to return to the negotiating table without delay so that the Afghan people can reach a just and lasting political solution and the peace and stability they deserve.”
Taliban, however, have denied any involvement.
Meanwhile, clashes between the Taliban and Afghan government forces have spread to the suburbs and into several major cities, including Herat city in the west and Lashkargah, the center of Helmand, and the city of Kandahar in the south.
Officials had previously reported clashes in the Guzara district, 10 kilometers from Herat city, but recently announced that ANA forces were clearing both sides of the road to Herat airport.
