China mourns victims in Kabul blast

BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- China expresses deep condolences over the lives lost and extends sincere sympathies to the injured in a blast in the Afghan capital of Kabul, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Tuesday.

At least 20 people, including women and children, were transported to EMERGENCY's Surgical Center in Kabul following an explosion in the downtown area on Monday afternoon, with seven declared dead on arrival, the humanitarian organization said. According to media reports, the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the incident.

Guo said at a regular news briefing that one Chinese citizen was killed and five were injured in the explosion, adding that the Chinese side has made emergency representations to the Afghan side, urging it to make every effort to treat the injured.

China has asked the Afghan side to take further effective measures to protect the safety of Chinese nationals, projects and institutions in Afghanistan, conduct a thorough investigation and bring the perpetrators to justice, Guo said.

China strongly condemns and firmly opposes terrorism in all forms, and supports Afghanistan and regional countries in their joint efforts to combat terrorists and violent activities, he added.

Given the current security situation in Afghanistan, the Chinese foreign ministry again reminds Chinese citizens to refrain from traveling to the country in the near future, Guo said.

He also advised the Chinese citizens and enterprises already in Afghanistan to enhance their security awareness, strengthen precautionary measures, and evacuate from high-risk areas as soon as possible.