The Taliban’s attack in the city of Ghazni that left 12 dead and 150 others wounded was “strongly” condemned by the Presidential Palace, the Chief Executive’s Office, the US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and was called an “indiscriminate and horrific” attack.
President Ghani said the Taliban took the responsibility of the “horrific and disgraceful” act in which civilians, specially children, were affected.
He said that the Taliban showed that their words and actions are not the same.
Ghani said in the statement that the Taliban is holding talks with Afghans in Qatar while “their hands are stained with the blood of the innocent people of Afghanistan every day”.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah in a statement condemned the Taliban attack in Ghazni and said “terror and violence” cannot affect Afghans’ will (for peace) and that there is no place for an “Islamic emirate” and “extremist approach” in today’s Afghanistan.
“Taliban should realize that it is not possible that they can get more privileges in the [peace] talks [in Qatar] by targeting civilians, particularly children,” Ghani said in the statement.
“Getting reports of a horrific attack in Ghazni in which schoolchildren were again victims. It is unfathomable to endanger children in this way. I strongly condemn this attack. Peace has never been more urgent and is the only path to ending terror and violence,” Khalilzad tweeted.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also condemned the attack in Ghazni as “indiscriminate and disproportionate”.
On Sunday morning, a Taliban suicide car bombing targeted a military installation in PD3 of the city of Ghazni sparking fear and outrage among the residents who in the past few months have been facing deadly violence as a result of Taliban’s attacks.
At least 12 people were killed and 179 others were wounded in the blast, the Public Health Ministry’s spokesman Wahidullah Mayar, said.
This comes after on Monday the Taliban launched similar attack in Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, which left several people dead and wounded.
Also on Sunday, the Taliban launched an attack on Maroof district’s center in the southern province of Kandahar by using four explosive-laden Humvees.
The group immediately claimed responsibility of the attack.
In response to a question about civilian casualties in Taliban attack in Ghazni, a spokesman of the group, Suhail Shaheen, said the incident will be “investigated” and those who have committed “violation”, will be “prosecuted”.
