Presidential Palace, Kabul – H.E. Hamid Karzai, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is deeply saddened by a violent incident during the Education festival yesterday in Herat, which caused the death of 2 women and injured 7 people.

In his reaction to the news, the President said: "I am deeply saddened by this incident which took place during a happy gathering of our youth and their parents. I present my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and I wish a quick recovery to the injured".

The President has ordered an immediate and thorough investigation into the incident to determine the facts and bring the culprits to severe punishment. A team of the Ministry of the Interior and Defense, the National Director for Security and the prosecutor general's office has been sent to Herat.