U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed deep concern Tuesday about the recent spike in violence in Afghanistan, which included suicide bombings, murders, and an ambush of de-miners, U.N. deputy spokeswoman Marie Okabe said. The secretary-general strongly condemns such acts of violence and calls upon the government of Afghanistan and the international community to redouble their efforts to ensure stability and ensure an environment of respect for human rights, Okabe told reporters. In the span of two days, 13 people were killed in three separate attacks around the country. Six Afghan de-miners were ambushed and killed on Saturday in Farah province; Ajmal Naqshbandi, an Afghan journalist, was found murdered on Sunday after his abduction by the Taliban over one month ago; and six Canadian troops in Kandahar were killed by a bomb on Sunday. Okabe also noted the killing of nine civilians, including five children, on April 1, when a suicide bomber struck in Laghman province.
