Manila - The Philippine government condemned Thursday a terrorist attack on a guesthouse used by the United Nations in Afghanistan that killed up to 12 people, including a Filipino volunteer worker.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the attack highlighted the need for the international community to work on giving better protection for civilians in Afghanistan and other conflict areas.

"The Philippines reaffirms its solidarity with the government and the people of Afghanistan in their nation building efforts," the department said in a statement.

"It calls on the international community to band together to improve the protection of civilians, particularly UN personnel and aid workers who are vulnerable to danger in the course of their duties," it added.

The department identified the slain Filipino UN volunteer as Jossie Esto, an electoral outreach training coordinator under the United Nations Development Volunteers Program.

Esto was the fourth Filipino killed in terrorist attacks against the UN in recent years.

She was killed Wednesday when a bomb explosion rocked a guesthouse used by the UN in central Kabul. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was the beginning of assaults aimed at disrupting the November 7 presidential runoff. (dpa)