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UN chief condemns killing of former Afghani president

21 September 2011 01:32 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday strongly condemned the killing of Burhanuddin Rabbani, the former president of Afghanistan, in a terrorist attack in Kabul, the Afghan capital, APA reports.

Ban said he was shocked by the death of Burhanuddin Rabbani, who also served as chairman of the Afghan High Peace Council.

"I condemn in the strongest possible terms this attack on people who were working to bring peace in Afghanistan," Ban said in a statement issued by his spokesman.

Rabbani was killed on Tuesday in a suicide bomb attack in his house in Kabul, reports said. According to a close source from his office, Rabbani was meeting with a small group of Taliban members over the reconciliation when the bomb went off.

"I am saddened to hear that Minister Masoom Stanekzai, head of the Joint Secretariat, has been injured, and other civilians have also been killed or injured," said Ban in the statement.

"I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and wounded," Ban said. "I would like to reiterate that the United Nations remains committed to supporting Afghanistan and its people in attaining peace and stability and to working in close cooperation with them."