KABUL - The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemns yesterday’s suicide attack against a crowd of civilians in Kabul.

 On 11 December, a suicide attacker detonated himself amongst a crowd attending a performance at the Institut Français d’Afghanistan, co-located with the Istiqlal High School. The attack killed one civilian and injured at least ten. Authorities confirmed a 16-year-old male  carried out the attack.

“This deliberate targeting of civilians at a place for learning and culture is an atrocity that must be condemned in the strongest terms,” said the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Nicholas Haysom.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

International humanitarian law prohibits attacks against civilians and civilian locations, including schools and cultural centres. The Mission notes that these acts may amount to war crimes.

UNAMA extends its condolences to the family of the person killed and wishes a speedy recovery for the injured.