kabul attack
Police arrive at the site of the blast in KabulReuters/Mohammad Ismail

The UN Security Council (UNSC) has condemned the attack on an education centre in the Afghan capital that killed at least 48 people as "heinous and cowardly."

In a press statement released on Wednesday, UNSC reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constituted one of the most serious threats to international peace and security.

The UNSC underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers, and sponsors of these acts of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice.

Members of the Council also expressed their sympathies and condolences to the families of the victims and to the Afghanistan government and wished a speedy and full recovery to those who were injured.

UN General Assembly President Miroslav Lajcak called the attack "unacceptable", adding that the General Assembly continued to stand against terrorism and with Afghanistan.

Up to 48 students were killed and 67 others injured in the suicide bomb blast on the private education centre in Kabul's Dasht-e-Barchi area. No group claimed the responsibility for the attack.

Attacks in Afghanistan have been increasing over the past few months. These attacks have mainly been in the form of militant violence. One of the major attacks has been in the Eastern part of the city of Ghazni. A BBC report said that over 100 security personnel were killed in this attack. The UN added that over 150 civilians may have also been killed.  

[With inputs from IANS]