KABUL, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani said the country's territory would not be used against any other nations, according to the country's Presidential Palace on Saturday.
"Under the provisions of the Bilateral Security Agreement with the U.S., the government reassures the dignified Afghan nation and the neighboring countries that Afghanistan's soil will not be used against any foreign country," the palace said in a statement.
The statement came in the wake of a U.S. drone attack near Baghdad International Airport in Iraq on Friday, which killed Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was the deputy chief of the pro-Iran Hashd Shaabi forces.
"The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan closely monitors the situations in the region and seeks bilateral and multilateral ties with all countries in the region and world," the statement read.
The statement asked both sides to come to ease the tension via diplomatic channels.
According to the statement, Afghanistan was gravely concerned about a possible escalation of violence in the region.
Ghani also spoke on the phone with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo late on Friday, the statement confirmed.
"In my telephone conversation with the U.S. Secretary of State, I once again emphasized that Afghan soil must not be used against a third country or in regional conflicts," the statement quoted Ghani as saying.
In the meantime, Afghan former President Hamid Karzai has condemned the incident.
"This action brazenly violates all international norms and threatens to further destabilize the region. I offer my condolences to Soleimani's family..." Karzai said on Twitter.
