India on Thursday condemned the terror attack in Kandahar that killed the deputy Governor of the province, Abdul Shamsi, and five United Arab Emirates (UAE) diplomats while seriously injuring UAE ambassador to Afghanistan, Juma Mohammad Abdullah al-Kaabi. Kandahar Governor Dr Humayoon Azizi was also injured in the bomb blast that took place in a guest house. Without naming Pakistan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said such attacks bring focus on countries that pursue terrorism as a state policy to achieve narrow political objectives.
“We are deeply saddened with the news of the death of several UAE nationals, among others, and the serious injuries suffered by the UAE Ambassador to Afghanistan resulting from a bomb blast that took place at a guesthouse in Kandahar on 10 January during a meeting between senior Afghan officials and UAE diplomats. This dastardly terrorist attack is all the more condemnable as the UAE Ambassador was in Kandahar on a humanitarian mission to lay foundation stone for the Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan centre for orphans,” MEA said in a statement.
“These cowardly attacks once again bring in sharp focus the inhumane suffering inflicted on the peace loving people of the region by the abominable phenomenon of international terrorism, which sadly continues to have its epicentre in our region and is pursued brazenly as an instrument of state policy to achieve narrow political objectives. India remains firmly committed to working closely and actively with the UAE and Afghanistan to eradicate the curse of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” the statement said.