UN chief slams deadly suicide bombing in Afghanistan UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Monday strongly condemned the deadly suicide bombing at a volleyball match in Afghanistan, in which at least 50 civilians were killed. "He denounces this attack against men, women and children who were enjoying a community sporting event not only as a grave violation of Afghan and international law, but as fundamentally abhorrent," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesperson. On Nov. 23, a suicide attacker detonated an improvised explosive device in a sports field in the Yahya Khel district of Afghanistan's southeastern province of Paktika. At least 50 civilians who were attending a volleyball match were immediately killed while 60 others were injured. According to reports, many children were among the dead and injured. The Secretary-General expressed his deepest sympathies to the families of those killed and injured, and his steadfast solidarity with the people of Afghanistan in refusing to be cowed by such attacks. "He hopes those responsible will be brought swiftly to justice, " the statement said. The year of 2014 has been the deadliest for civilians in Afghanistan since 2009. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has documented a rising number of civilian casualties attributed, in large part, to increased ground engagements and the increased use of improvised explosive devices -- both of which are killing and injuring more Afghan civilians than previously documented by UNAMA.