UN chief slams suicide car bomb attack in central Kabul

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday condemned "in the strongest possible terms" a suicide car bomb attack in central Kabul, the Afghan capital, voicing his concerns at "this indiscriminate violence" just five days before the presidential elections.

Ban, in a statement issued here by his spokesperson, said that he "condemns in the strongest possible terms today's suicide car bomb attack in a central area of Kabul, in which seven people were reportedly killed and a large number of civilians were injured including one UN staff member."

"He is deeply concerned at this indiscriminate violence days before the presidential and provincial elections scheduled for Aug.20," the statement said.

"The secretary-general extends his condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims," the statement said. "He also sends his wishes for a speedy recovery to those injured by this despicable act."

Militants managed to penetrate one of the safest nooks of Kabul to detonate a massive car bomb on Saturday, shaking the confidence of voters just five days before the presidential elections, reports said.

The powerful blast, for which the Taliban claimed responsibility, killed seven Afghan civilians and wounded 91 more. The bomb went off outside NATO headquarters just after 8:30 a.m. local time on Saturday, the beginning of the Afghan workweek. It sent a plume of smoke visible around Kabul and knocked out glass windows more than 150 meters away.