The United Nations (UN) Security Council on Tuesday condemned "in the strongest terms" Friday's attack on the UN compound in Herat, Afghanistan, which killed an Afghan security forces guard and injured several more. 

In a press statement, the Security Council members expressed their condolences to the family of the victim and wished a speedy and full recovery to those injured. 

They also expressed their concern about the high levels of violence in Afghanistan following the Taliban's military offensive and called for an immediate deescalation of violence. 

The council members also expressed concern about the number of reported serious human rights abuses and violations in communities affected by the ongoing armed conflict across the country. 

They condemned all instances of terrorism and deliberate targeted attacks against civilians. They recalled that all parties must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law in all circumstances, including those related to the protection of civilians. They underlined that deliberate attacks targeting civilians, UN personnel and UN compounds may constitute war crimes, and stressed the urgent and imperative need to bring the perpetrators to justice. 

The council members reiterated their support to the work of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan and, in this regard, emphasized the importance of the safety and security of UN personnel.

They called on both the Afghan government and the Taliban to engage meaningfully in peace process, recognizing that sustainable peace can be achieved only through a comprehensive and inclusive Afghan-led, Afghan-owned peace process that aims at a permanent and comprehensive cease-fire as well as an inclusive, just and realistic political settlement to end the conflict in Afghanistan.

They also stressed the need for full, equal and meaningful participation of women in this regard. 

The council members reaffirmed that there is no military solution to the conflict, and declared that they do not support the restoration of the Islamic Emirate run by the Taliban between 1996 and 2001. 

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(Cover: An Afghan security personnel stands guard at the site of a car bomb attack in Kandahar, Afghanistan, 6, 2021. /CFP)