City
Epaper

UN chief condemns mosque attack in Afghanistan

By IANS | Updated: October 19, 2019 05:20 IST

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned attack inside a mosque in Afghanistan, which resulted in scores of deaths, said his spokesman.

Open in App

Those responsible for this attack must be held accountable, said Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman said in a statement on Friday.

The secretary-general extended his deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those injured, Xinhua news agency reported.

Guterres reiterated the solidarity of the United Nations with the people and government of Afghanistan, it said.

As many as 62 people were killed and dozens were injured in the mosque attack during Friday prayers in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan, the provincial government said.

The nature of the explosion was being investigated. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Taliban and Islamic State militants control parts of the province, 120 km east of Kabul.

The high representative for the UN Alliance of Civilizations, Miguel Moratinos, also strongly condemned the attack.

The high representative stressed that all forms of violence and acts of terror targeting religious sites and worshipers, regardless of their faiths and beliefs, are unjustifiable, said Nihal Saad, his spokesperson, in a statement.

Moratinos recalled the UN Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites, which was developed by his team and launched by Guterres last month. Moratinos emphasised the urgency of rallying around this plan and taking steps toward its implementation.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: guterresAfghanistanStephane DujarricMiguel Moratinos
Open in App

Related Stories

InternationalEarthquake in Afghanistan: Quake of Magnitude 5.9 Strikes Hindu Kush Region; Tremors Felt in Delhi-NCR

InternationalEarthquake of Magnitude 4.7 on Richter Scale Hits Afghanistan

Fact Check: Old Video of Afghan Fans Celebrating Wrongly Linked to India’s ICC CT 2025 Victory

CricketChampions Trophy 2025: Australia Enters Semi-Finals After Rain Abandoned Match vs Afghanistan

Cricket“Inspired Generations to…”: Ibrahim Zadran Thanks Sachin Tendulkar for His Praise After Afghanistan’s Historic Win Over England in Champions Trophy 2025

International Realted Stories

InternationalPakistan preparing to test fire surface to surface ballistic missiles, say sources

InternationalChina says US must show sincerity before tariff talks can proceed

InternationalTrump posts image of himself as Pope after joking it would be his "number one choice"

International398 cases of attack on journalists registered in B'desh in a year: Report

InternationalAngolan President Joao Manuel Lourenco pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat