The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday confirmed the killing of five of its diplomats and wounding of the ambassador in Tuesday’s bomb attack in southern Afghanistan.
The blast took place inside the governor’s house in Kandahar City, the provincial capital, at about 7pm, the governor’s spokesman, Samim Khpalwak, told Pajhwok Afghan News.
The governor for Kandahar and UAE Ambassador to Afghanistan Mohammad Abdullah Al Kabi were among nearly a dozen injured in the bomb blast that killed at least 12 people.
He said the injured included Governor Humayun Azizi and the UAE ambassador and several Emirati diplomats. Khpalwak said the nature of the attack was not known as yet.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE vice-president and prime minister, condemned the blast and said Emirati diplomats were in Afghanistan to help the war-torn country and there was no reason to legitimize the attack.
He said the UAE diplomats had scarified their lives for humanitarian values as they were in the province to help children, elders and women.
The UAE government announced a day of mourning and said the country’s flag would fly half-mast on state institutions and foreign missions.
