UN Security Council slams Taliban attack in Afghanistan

The UN Security Council on Tuesday condemned "in the strongest terms" the terrorist attack near Bagram Air Field, the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan, which at least killed six U.S. soldiers.

A suicide car bomb took place on Monday, killing six soldiers and injuring three others in the U.S. military base in Bagram, 50 km north of Afghanistan's capital Kabul. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack.

In a press statement released here, the Security Council members reiterated their serious concern that the Taliban, Al-Qaida and the Islamic State affiliates have posed threats to the local population as well as to international presence in Afghanistan.

In this regard, the 15-nation council stressed the need to bring perpetrators of these acts of terrorism to justice and urged all States to cooperate with the Afghan authorities actively.

"The members of the Security Council reiterated that no violent or terrorist acts can reverse the path towards Afghan-led peace, democracy and stability in Afghanistan, which is supported by the people and the Government of Afghanistan and by the international community," said the statement.

There are about 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, part of a NATO force of 13,000. The NATO-led forces completed their combat mission in Afghanistan in late 2014 and have withdrawn major troops from the country.

Source: XINHUA