UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday condemned the July 31 suicide attack against the provincial government's department of refugees and returnees in Jalalabad City of Afghanistan, killing at least 15 civilians, including a staff member of the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

"Any attack deliberately targeting civilians is unjustifiable and in clear violation of international law," the secretary-general said in a statement released by his deputy spokesman Farhan Haq.

"The secretary-general extends his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to those injured," said Haq.

"The United Nations stands with the people and Government of Afghanistan as they strive for peace and reconciliation in their country," he added.

According to figures released mid-July by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, known as UNAMA, 1,692 civilians were killed and another 3,430 injured in the first six months of 2018, a record high number for the first six months of any year, despite an unprecedented ceasefire between the government and Taliban extremists in mid-June.