UNITED NATIONS, Aug 27 (APP):The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Friday condemned, “in strongest terms”, a deadly attack at Kabul’s airport as “especially abhorrent” for targeting civilians trying to leave Afghanistan after the Taliban came to power and people helping with the evacuation.
“The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms all instances of terrorism and deliberate attacks against civilians. They recalled that all parties must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law in all circumstances, including those related to the protection of civilians,” the 15-member council said in a statement.
“Deliberately targeting civilians and personnel assisting in the evacuation of civilians is especially abhorrent and must be condemned,” the statement added.
The Kabul airport attack on Thursday, which killed 13 United States troops and at least 79 Afghans, was claimed by ISIS-Khorosan, which has emerged as enemies of both the West and of the Taliban.
Tens of thousands of people have been leaving Afghanistan since the Taliban came to power as foreign forces withdraw.
The UNSC “called on all relevant parties to respect and facilitate the safe evacuation of civilians.”
The council also “reiterated the importance of combating terrorism in Afghanistan to ensure the territory of Afghanistan should not be used to threaten or attack any country, and that no Afghan group or individual should support terrorists operating on the territory of any country.”
United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is convening a meeting on Monday on Afghanistan with the UN envoys for Britain, France, the United States, China and Russia – the council’s permanent, veto-wielding members.
However, when asked about what the meeting might achieve, the UN chief told reporters on Thursday: “There are normal meetings that take place in the context of the work of the UN”
The US and allied forces are racing to complete evacuations of their citizens and vulnerable Afghans and to withdraw from Afghanistan by an August 31 deadline set by President Joe Biden.
On its part, Pakistan has so far evacuated a total of 7,629 people of different nationalities through air and land routes, as it continues to evacuate diplomatic staff and foreign nationals including the personnel of international institutions stranded in Afghanistan.
