Abu Dhabi: The UAE has strongly condemned the terrorist bombing carried out by the Taliban, which targeted the western part of the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Monday, killing at least 35 people and wounding dozens of others.
A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation today said that UAE calls for concerted efforts of international community in confronting this scourge and addressing it as a global phenomenon that threatens international security and stability.
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The statement called on all countries worldwide to stand together to eradicate this scourge, which aims to destroy communities, spread chaos, and stoke conflict and division among the people of a country.
The ministry extended the condolences of the UAE leadership, government and its people to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to the injured.
35 killed in Kabul car bomb attack
Kabul (Reuters): A Taliban suicide attacker detonated a car bomb in the western part of Kabul on Monday, killing up to 35 people and wounding more than 40, government officials said, in one of the worst attacks in the Afghan capital in recent weeks.
Police cordoned off the area, located near the house of the deputy government Chief Executive Mohammad Mohaqiq in a part of the city where many of the mainly Shi'ite Hazara community live.
Monday's suicide bombing, which targeted government personnel, continued the unrelenting violence that has killed more than 1,700 civilians in Afghanistan so far this year.
The Taliban, which is battling the Western-backed government and a NATO-led coalition for control of Afghanistan, has launched a wave of attacks around the country in recent days, sparking fighting in more than half a dozen provinces.
"I was in my shop when suddenly I heard a terrible sound and as a result all of my shop windows shattered," said Ali Ahmed, a resident in the area of Monday's blast.
Acting Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said at least 24 people had been killed and 40 wounded but the casualty toll could rise further.
Another senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk about the incident with the media, said the toll stood at 35 killed.
Claim
That was in line with a claim on Twitter by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, who said 37 "intelligence workers" had been killed.
Mujahid said in a tweet claiming responsibility for the attack the target had been two buses that had been under surveillance for two months.
