Attack on UN compound in Afghanistan, at least one guard killed

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At least one security guard was killed in Afghanistan on Friday after the Taliban attacked the United Nations central compound in the western province of Herat.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said the attack was carried out by “anti-government elements” at the entrances to the compound.

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Taliban forces reportedly used RPGs and gunfire during their attack on the “clearly marked” UN compound.

A statement issued by the United Nations said that it “is urgently seeking to establish a full picture of the attack, and for this purpose it is in contact with the parties concerned.”

Afghan government forces reportedly clashed with the Taliban during Friday’s attack, killing an Afghan police guard and wounding two other officers.

No UN personnel was injured.

“This attack on the United Nations is unfortunate and we condemn it in the strongest terms,” ​​said the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons. “Our first thoughts are with the family of the slain officer, and we wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”

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International law prohibits attacks on UN personnel or compounds, meaning Friday’s attack could amount to a war crime.

“The perpetrators of this attack must be identified and held accountable,” Lyons said.

A Taliban spokesman said the compound was “not under any threat” and claimed the attack might have been the result of an “exchange of fire”.

“It is possible that the guards were hurt in the crossfire due to the proximity of the office to the fighting,” Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter.

The Taliban made advances across Afghanistan in the weeks following the withdrawal of US forces at the conclusion of a 20-year war.

Despite some continued air support from the United States, the insurgent group has controlled nearly half of Afghanistan’s 421 provinces.

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Secretary of State Anthony Blinken did not comment on Friday’s attack, but in a statement following the arrival of a group of former Afghan allies in the United States, he said the administration’s work in Afghanistan was “ongoing.”

“The United States will continue to use the full power of our diplomatic, economic, and development toolkit to support the Afghan people in their pursuit of a just and lasting peace and to preserve the gains of the past twenty years, particularly those of women, girls, and minorities.”

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