RIYADH, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia on Monday strongly condemned the suicide car bombing in the Afghan capital Kabul, which killed two dozens of civilians.
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs also offered the kingdom's condolences to the families of the victims as well as the Afghan government and people, while wishing a speedy recovery to the wounded in the bombing attack, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.
An official from the ministry "reaffirmed the Kingdom's solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan against terrorism and extremism," the report added.
Earlier on Monday, a car bomb struck a minibus carrying government employees in western Kabul, killing 24 civilians and injuring 42 others. Three vehicles and 15 shops were severely damaged in the explosion.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday also strongly condemned the Taliban-related attack in Kabul, saying that the deliberate targeting of civilians "constitutes a grave violation of human rights and international humanitarian law and may constitute a war crime."
The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since late April when the militant group launched its annual offensive in different places in Afghanistan.
UN statistics show that more than 1,660 civilians were killed and over 3,580 others injured in conflict-related incidents across the country in the first half of this year. Enditem
