Press Release

Date of Release: 17 January 2006

Arg, Kabul – H.E. Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, strongly condemned yesterday's cowardly terrorist attack in the Spinboldak district of Kandahar province, which killed 20 innocent people, including people from Chaman district of Pakistan, and wounded many more.

The terrorists carried out yesterday's attack near a crowd of people who were watching a wrestling match at a public gathering for Eid festivities in Spinboldak.

President Karzai is deeply saddened by the death of the innocent people of Spinboldak of Afghanistan and Chaman of Pakistan and said, “The people of Afghanistan and tribal areas of Pakistan have suffered tremendous loss of lives and sustained heavy damages due to the presence of the terrorist networks in their areas. The people of Afghanistan and Pakistan are suffering at the hands of the terrorists and in the fight against terrorism. The recent fatalities in Bajawur Agency are a clear indication of this fact.”

The President expressed his heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims and stressed the need for a joint fight by regional governments to eliminate the terrorists' presence and sanctuaries in the region and secure the lives of the people of Afghanistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan.

Released by the Office of the Spokesman to the President
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan