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UNAMA, US and OIC among many to condemn Kabul mosque explosion
The United Nations in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has condemned Friday’s deadly attack on a mosque in Kabul, which resulted in the death of at least 10 people.
UNAMA said in a statement that the attack on the Khalifa Sahib Mosque “is the latest in a series of indiscriminate assaults on civilian targets in the capital and provinces.”
According to UNAMA, two UN staff members and their families were also in the mosque at the time of the explosion.
“Today’s attack, carried out on the last Friday of the Holy month of Ramadan and on the eve of the Eid-ul-Fitr, totally disregards human lives and religious sanctity.
“No words are strong enough to condemn this despicable act, targeting a place of worship, as Muslims across Afghanistan prepare to celebrate the Eid,” said Mette Knudsen, the UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan.
“Recent attacks against civilians, targeting ethnic and religious minorities, represent a disturbing trend in Afghanistan. These violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws must end immediately,” he said.
Friday’s explosion follows a spate of attacks in recent weeks in mosques and schools in the major cities of Kabul, Kunduz and Mazar-e-Sharif.
Friday’s attack has however sparked widespread condemnation from a number of foreign countries and international communities.
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West tweeted early Saturday: “I condemn the senseless and terrible attacks against innocent Afghans this past week, including at Khalifa Sahib mosque. These attacks must end. Perpetrators must be brought to justice.”
The European Union, was among those that condemned the incident and said: “Another explosion shook Kabul, targeting worshippers during their Friday prayers and taking the lives of many. It comes in a series of heinous and coward attacks on civilians gathering in a market, school or a mosque in this holy month of Ramadan.
“The European Union mourns with the families of the victims and wishes those injured a full and speedy recovery. Terror has no place in any religion or faith,” read their statement.
The EU also called on the Afghan authorities to ensure safety and security of all Afghan citizens and to hold those responsible to account.
“It is imperative to implement effective counter-terrorism policies and measures that eradicate the threat of terrorism both inside and from Afghanistan’s territory,” their statement read.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif has also strongly condemned Friday's blast in Kabul and “expressed his deep sense of grief and sorrow at the loss of precious lives and conveyed his condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families”.
Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs also issued a statement and said: “We express support and solidarity to the Afghan brethren in effectively countering the challenge of terrorism.”
The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meanwhile called for a “more resolute stand by the de facto authorities against whoever sponsors or orchestrates” the attacks.
The OIC said in a series of tweets that these repeated and indiscriminate attacks “reflect the unabated volatility of the security situation in Afghanistan”. The organization also called for a more resolute stand by the de facto authorities against whoever sponsors or orchestrates them.
Friday’s explosion was the latest in a string of attacks targeting civilians. The blast ripped through a mosque in Kabul city, leaving dozens dead and wounded. On Thursday, two more explosions were reported in Mazar-e-Sharif in Balkh province also leaving dozens dead and wounded.
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Eight Afghan migrants die as boat capsizes off Greek island
Eight Afghan migrants died after a speedboat carrying migrants capsized off Greece's eastern island of Rhodes on Friday, the Associated Press reported.
Greek authorities said that the capsizing was the result of the boat’s maneuvering to evade a patrol vessel.
A total of 18 migrants — 12 men, three women and three minors — all Afghan nationals, were rescued, Greece's coast guard said Saturday. The dead were also from Afghanistan, it said.
Some migrants remained hospitalized, with one in critical condition, authorities said.
Two Turkish citizens, ages 23 and 19, were arrested as the suspected traffickers. The boat sank after capsizing, the coast guard said.
The sinking off Rhodes was the second deadly incident involving migrants in the past week.
Seven migrants were killed and dozens were believed missing after a boat partially sank south of the island of Crete over the weekend — one of four rescue operations during which more than 200 migrants were rescued.
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Norwegian Chargé d’Affaires meets with IEA deputy foreign minister
Welcoming the diplomat’s visit to Kabul, Stanikzai underscored the importance of political relations between Afghanistan and Norway, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The Norwegian Chargé d’Affaires for Afghanistan, Per Albert Ilsaas, on Saturday met with IEA’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Sher Muhammad Abbas Stanikzai, in Kabul.
Welcoming the diplomat’s visit to Kabul, Stanikzai underscored the importance of political relations between Afghanistan and Norway, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
In addition to focusing on bilateral political, humanitarian, and other pertinent issues, the two sides expressed hope that continued engagement would lead to constructive solutions to related issues.
This comes two weeks after the Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi expressed disappointment regarding the decision by the Norwegian government to downgrade diplomatic relations with Afghanistan.
Balkhi said in a post on X that such decisions should not be linked with internal affairs of other countries.
“Diplomatic engagement is most effective when it fosters mutual understanding and respect, even amidst differing viewpoints,” he stated.
“Access to consular services is a fundamental right of all nationals. We strongly urge all parties to prioritize this principle in the spirit of international cooperation,” he added.
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A new polio vaccination campaign is set to launch in Afghanistan
Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries in the world where polio has not been eradicated.
The “Afghanistan Polio-Free” organization announced that a new round of polio vaccinations will begin on Monday, December 23, in various provinces of Afghanistan.
The organization did not specify which provinces will be targeted or how long the vaccination campaign will last.
Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries in the world where polio has not been eradicated.
On December 4, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a statement reporting a 283% increase in polio cases in Afghanistan. According to the WHO, the number of positive environmental samples for wild poliovirus type 1 in Afghanistan in 2024 reached 84, compared to 62 cases in 2023.
The Ministry of Public Health claimed in November 2024 that no new cases of polio had been reported in Afghanistan for the year.
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