United Nations - The UN Security Council last night condemned the killings of nine Iranian diplomats in Afghanistan and called for an "urgent investigation". In a swift reaction to a telephone call from the Iranian Foreign Minister and a letter from the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations, the council also called on all sides to exercise restraint, the council president, Mr Hans Dahlgren, said.
The council members "condemn these serious acts and violations of international law," he said, but did not refer to the Islamic Taliban militia accused by Iran of being responsible.
Iran said earlier it would soon launch major army war games on its tense border with Afghanistan. At the same time, fighters of Afghanistan's Sunni Muslim Taliban militia were reported to be advancing on the Afghan town of Bamiyan, last redoubt of two Shi'ite factions opposed to the Taliban, west of the capital, Kabul.