UN condemns attack outside Taliban Foreign Ministry in Kabul

Kabul [Afghanistan], January 12 (ANI): The United Nations mission in Afghanistan has condemned Wednesday's attack outside the Taliban Foreign Ministry in Kabul that killed at least five people.
Kabul security department, Khalid Zadran said that the Taliban condemns such "heinous" attacks and will punish the perpetrators, TOLOnews reported.
Zadran said the explosion happened on the street of the Foreign Ministry. The Afghan news agency said victims of the blast near the foreign ministry in Kabul were taken to the Emergency Hospital.
In a statement, United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said expressed its condolences to the affected families and said that violence is not part of any solution to bring lasting peace to Afghanistan.
"UNAMA condemns today's attack outside dfa Foreign Ministry in Kabul. Reports of numerous casualties, including civilians. Rising insecurity is of grave concern. Violence is not part of any solution to bring lasting peace to #Afghanistan. Our condolences to the families affected," UNAMA tweeted.
Earlier on Tuesday, emergency hospital in Kabul said more than 40 patients were received at Emergency's Surgical Centre for War Victims in the capital city following an explosion that took place at 16:00 Afghan time, near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"Casualty numbers are continuing to rise as the situation unfolds," the statement added. Stefano Sozza, Emergency's Country Director in Afghanistan: "the death toll is still rising."
In a tweet, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai "strongly" condemned the blast and called it a terrorist act.
A number of blasts have been reported in Afghanistan since the start of 2023. Several blasts were reported in the capital city this month including one year Kabul military airport. Last month, a Chinese-owned hotel was targeted in the heart of Kabul.
Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, armed groups linked to the Afghan branch of the Islamic State have carried out bombings targeting ethnic Hazaras, Afghan Shias, Sufis, and others, killing and injuring hundreds. (ANI)