UPDATE/One Romanian dead, another seriously injured in terrorist attack in Kabul

A representative of the diplomatic mission of Romania in Kabul has died, and another was seriously injured following the terrorist attack that occurred Monday night, in Kabul, Afghanistan, the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) informs. "Over the night between 2 to 3 September, in the campus where Romania's Embassy in Kabul carries out its activity, there was a terrorist attack against foreign citizens. Following the attack, a representative of Romania's diplomatic mission in Kabul died, and another one was seriously injured," a MAE release sent to AGERPRES points out. The injured Romanian citizen is going to be transferred as soon as possible to Europe, depending on the development in his health condition, to benefit from specialised medical assistance, the Romanian Foreign Ministry points out. Foreign Affairs Minister Ramona Manescu had a telephone conversation with the head of Romania's diplomatic mission in Kabul and she is keeping in permanent touch to grant the necessary support, the release reads. MAE points out that both the diplomatic mission chief as well as the head of the guard team within the embassy have been evacuated to a near-by military base and are out of any danger. The representative of Romania's Embassy in Kabul is keeping contact with the Central of the Foreign Affairs Ministry and with all authorities in charge for the repatriation of the dead body and the transfer, in safety conditions, of the injured Romanian citizen. The Foreign Affairs Ministry condemns in the firmest of terms the terrorist attack and reiterates Romania's support in the fight against terrorism, in all its forms. MAE sends condolences to the family of the dead Romanian. A suicide attack, claimed by the Talibans, took place in the center of the Afghan Capital Kabul, shortly after a meeting between President Ashraf Ghani and U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad, devoted to the project of peace accord with the Afghan insurgents, according to the AFP. The attack occurred when the Afghan television was broadcasting an interview with Zalmay Khalilzad, in which he spoke of a possible peace accord with the Talibans. On Tuesday morning, Afghanistan's Interior Ministry announced the death-toll of the attack with a bomb car claimed by the Tallibans and aimed at a camp inhabited by foreigners in Kabul rose to 16, according to dpa. Approximately 120 persons were injured in the attack, according to the Afghan Interior Ministry's Spokesperson Nasrat Rahimi. At least 400 foreign citizens were saved and transferred to safety by the Afghan police. Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan, of Afghan origin, arrived in Kabul on Sunday evening. He had a meeting with Ashraf Ghani to present the results of the ninth round of negotiations with the Talibans, recently concluded in Doha. At least 193 people were killed and 897 injured in attacks in Kabul since the beginning of the year. AGERPRES (RO - author: Oana Ghita, editor: Andreea Rotaru; EN - editor: Adina Panaitescu)  

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