SECURITY COUNCIL PRESS STATEMENT ON AFGHANISTAN ATTACK

The following Security Council press statement on the 6 November attack in Afghanistan was delivered today by Council President Marty Natalegawa ( Indonesia):

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the suicide attack against a visiting parliamentary delegation, which caused numerous deaths in the town of Baghlan in northern Afghanistan on 6 November.  They noted that this terrorist attack was one of the deadliest in Afghanistan in recent years and heinously targeted innocent people, including children and representatives of the Afghan democratic institutions.

The members of the Security Council expressed their condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the people and the Government of Afghanistan.  They urged the Afghan authorities to make every effort to bring the perpetrators and organizers to justice.

The members of the Security Council reiterated their concern at the increasing threat to the local population, national security forces, international military and international assistance efforts posed by the Taliban, Al-Qaida, illegal armed groups, criminals and those involved in the narcotics trade.

The members of the Security Council reiterated that no terrorist act can reverse the path towards peace, democracy and reconstruction in Afghanistan, which is supported by the people and the Government of Afghanistan and the international community.

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