Ban strongly condemns attack on Camp Liberty in Iraq, calls for investigation

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday "strongly condemns" the mortar attack earlier in the day on Camp Liberty, and urged Baghdad, which is responsible for their safety, to investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice, his press office said in a statement. "The Secretary-General calls on the Government of Iraq, which is responsible for the safety and security of residents of both Camp Liberty and Camp Ashraf, to promptly and fully investigate the incident and bring perpetrators to justice," the statement added. The attack killed and injured a number of residents and Iraqi police officers in the camp, which is a former US military base housing over a thousand of Iranian dissidents working to topple the regime in Teheran. The camp is the temporary transit facility near Baghdad for former residents of Camp Ashraf. Martin Kobler, the Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), is closely liaising with the Government of Iraq on the response to the incident, including medical assistance to the wounded, the statement added. The statement reiterated that Ban has repeatedly stated that violence and provocation are "unacceptable. He reiterates the UN strong commitment to continue its long-standing efforts to facilitate a peaceful and durable solution for the camps' residents, pursuant to its agreement with Baghdad of 25 December 2011."