Beijing: In the wake of the recent attack on Chinese nationals in Kabul, China has urged its citizens and institutions in Afghanistan to leave and evacuate the country as soon as possible.
In a fresh spew of attacks, several unidentified armed personnel Monday attacked a hotel with Chinese nationals in Kabul. An affiliate of the extremist group ISIS later claimed responsibility for the attack.
According to the Chinese foreign ministry, five Chinese nationals were injured, while some Afghan security officers were killed in the attack. Three of the terrorists were also killed by the security forces.
In a statement on Tuesday, the spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry, Wang Wenbin, requested Chinese nationals and institutions in Afghanistan to leave and evacuate the country as soon as possible. He advised them to report their identity information to the Chinese embassy and take extra safety precautions and enhance emergency preparedness.
Responding to a question on the matter, the spokesperson said that they were “deeply shocked” at the “extremely outrageous terrorist attack”.
Expressing condolences for members of the Afghan security forces who lost their lives, the spokesperson said: “China firmly opposes all forms of terrorism and strongly condemns this attack.”
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He added that the Chinese embassy in Afghanistan immediately lodged a serious representation with the Afghan interim government and asked the Afghan side to “make every effort to search for and rescue Chinese nationals”.
Wang Wenbin also appreciated the sharp reaction of Afghan security forces to the attack. He added that China was closely following the security situation in Afghanistan and supports Afghanistan’s efforts to combat all forms of terrorism and violence and to defend national security and stability.
