The Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, condemned Tuesday the attack on a hotel in the Afghan capital, Kabul, perpetrated by the Islamic State, which has indicated that at least 30 people were killed or wounded, a much higher toll than the two wounded officially confirmed by the Taliban government.
The spokesman for the UN Secretary General, Stéphane Dujarric, said that Guterres «strongly condemned the attack of 12 December» which «caused multiple victims», while expressing his condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to the wounded.
Guterres also called for the perpetrators to be held accountable, according to a UN statement, which reiterated that attacks against civilians are strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law.
The Islamic State jihadist group claimed responsibility for an attack on a hotel in Kabul on Monday, before releasing images of the two attackers and a video in which they pledged allegiance to the new leader, since his predecessor had died in mid-October during a Free Syrian Army operation in the Syrian province of Daraa, according to the spokesman of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), Joe Buccino, as reported by SITE Intelligence Group, an organization specialized in tracking terrorist groups.
However, the Taliban spokesman and Afghan deputy information minister, Zabihullah Mujahid, indicated that «the attack on a hotel in Kabul has resulted in the death of the three attackers». «All guests have been saved and no foreigners have been killed. Two foreign guests have been injured after jumping from a window,» he added through his account on the social network Twitter.
For his part, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said that five citizens of the Asian giant were injured in the attack and added that «several Afghan policemen were killed,» without giving further details. «We express our condolences to the dead policemen and the wounded,» he said.
The event came a day after Afghan Deputy Prime Minister Mohamad Abas Stanikzai met in Kabul with Chinese Ambassador Wang Yu to assure him that the Taliban guarantee the safety of diplomatic representatives and facilities in the country following the recent attacks on the Pakistani and Russian embassies.
