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Minister Shahid sends condolences to Afghanistan

Mariyam Malsa
21 October 2019, MVT 21:34
Volunteers carry an injured man on a stretcher to a hospital, following a bomb blast in Haska Mina district of Nangarhar Province on October 18, 2019. - At least 62 people were killed by a blast inside an Afghan mosque during Friday prayers on October 18, according to officials, a day after the United Nations said violence in the country had reached "unacceptable" levels. (Photo by NOORULLAH SHIRZADA / AFP)
Mariyam Malsa
21 October 2019, MVT 21:34

Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid, on Sunday, sent a message of condolence to Afghani Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani concerning multiple explosions at a mosque in the eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan on October 18, 2019.

The blasts, which killed at least 70 people and wounded at least 36, occurred during the Friday prayers. No group or individual has yet to claim responsibility for the attack.

Minister Shahid expressed sadness concerning the incident and conveyed his deepest condolences to members of the bereaved families.

"At this time of national tragedy, the government and the people of the Maldives join me in conveying our heartfelt sympathy and stand in solidarity with the government and people of Afghanistan".

Additionally, Foreign Minister Shahid strongly condemned the acts of terror in Afganistan as well as any other form of violence perpetrated against innocent people. He reiterated Maldives' full commitment to fighting against terrorism and collaborating with the international community to eliminate the global menace.

The mosque attack occurred after the United Nations (UN) released a report on Thursday, revealing unprecedented increases in civilian casualties and injuries between July and September 2019.

The UN attributed the higher numbers to 'anti-government elements' such as the Taliban, who have carried out an insurgency in Afghanistan for more than 18 years.

The Taliban rejected the report which records 1,174 deaths and 3,139 injured from July 1 to September 30. The figures represent a 42 percent increase compared to the same period in 2018.

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