United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses an event celebrating International Women's Day at the UN headquarters in New York, March 6, 2020. The United Nations (UN) on Friday celebrated the Internatioanl Women's Day in an observance that called for more headway in women's rights toward Generation Equality. (Photo: Xinhua)

 United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday strongly condemned the previous day's suicide attack at a district administrative building in Afghanistan's province of Nangarhar.

"The secretary-general strongly condemns the suicide attack on Oct. 3 at a district administrative building in Afghanistan's province of Nangarhar in an area where many civilians are present. Those who carry out such crimes must be held accountable," according to a statement issued by the secretary-general's spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

"The secretary-general expresses his deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured," said the statement. "The secretary-general reiterates the urgency of achieving a peaceful settlement of the conflict. The United Nations remains committed to support the people and Government of Afghanistan in this important endeavor," said the statement.

At least 15 people were killed and 42 others wounded in a Taliban suicide car bombing outside a district office in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province on Saturday, a local government spokesman said.

"The incident occurred when a terrorist detonated a mini-truck outside the intelligence agency office, near the district main office in Shinwar district at midday. The blast also caused destruction," the spokesman told Xinhua.