The UN chief strongly condemned the "horrific attack" on Monday at Kabul University in Afghanistan. In a statement issued through his deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq, UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his "deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured". Gunmen disguised as police officers stormed the University in the Afghan capital, taking hostages, killing at least 22 people and wounding more than a dozen others, according to news reports. "This appalling attack, the second in ten days on a school facility in Kabul, is also an assault on the human right to education", the statement said. The secretary-general reiterated that "those responsible must be held accountable". "The United Nations stands by the people and Government of Afghanistan in support of their long-held aspirations for peace", he concluded. The attack began shortly before the expected arrival of government officials for an Iranian book fair and continued for several hours. Tuesday has been declared a national day of mourning by the government. The Taliban denied involvement and condemned the attack shortly after it began on Monday. Hours later Daesh (the so-called IS) issued a message on the Telegram app saying it had targeted "the graduation of judges and investigators working for the apostate Afghan government". Daesh has previously targeted education centers in Afghanistan, including an attack outside a tuition center in Kabul last month that left 24 people dead. The group also claimed responsibility for a 2018 attack in front of Kabul University in which dozens were killed. — Agencies
