KABUL, Afghanistan, July 13 (UPI) -- The United Nations expressed grave concern about the safety of civilians in Afghanistan after a women's rights leader was slain in a Friday attack.
The United Nations reported Hanifa Safi, director of the Department of Women's Affairs in Laghman province, was targeted by a remote-controlled bomb Friday, killing her and injuring members of her family.
Jan Kubis, U.N. special envoy to Afghanistan, expressed grave concern over the incident, calling for swift justice.
"The deliberate killing of a brave woman and a public servant dedicated to improving the situation of Afghan women and working for the safety and security of her country is an outrage," he said in a statement.
There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the attack. The Taliban, meanwhile, said 25 people, including four "puppet soldiers," were killed during separate attacks on a supply convoy in Wardak province.
The attacks come after a veteran Taliban commander told British news magazine the New Statesman on condition of anonymity the conservative movement was unlikely to win the campaign against international forces in the country.
The Taliban in May announced the start of its spring offensive. The primary target was declared to "be the foreign invaders."
