India on Monday strongly condemned the terrorist attack on a Shia Mosque in Kunduz, Afghanistan in which more than 100 Afghans were reported to have lost lives and several others injured. A media release of the Ministry of External Affairs said that we extend our condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims during their difficult time. The deadly blast the Shia mosque has received widespread condemnation.
"India stands committed in the fight against the scourge of terrorism and reiterates the importance of combating terrorism in Afghanistan. We stand with the people of Afghanistan and hope that perpetrators of this attack would be identified and brought to justice expeditiously," the relase stated further.
At least 100 people have been killed and wounded after a suicide bomb attack tore through in Afghanistan's northeastern Kunduz province on Friday.
Dost Mohammad Obaida, the deputy police chief for Kunduz province, said that the “majority of people there have been killed."
If confirmed, the death toll of dozens would be the highest since US and NATO forces left Afghanistan at the end of August and the Taliban took control of the country.
The victims were buried in groups, a media report said citing officials. While authorities in Kunduz have put the death toll of Friday's deadly bombing, claimed by the Islamic State (IS) terror group, at 46 with 143 others injured, members of the Shia Ulema said nearly 120 worshippers were killed and 160 wounded, TOLO News reported.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also strongly condemned the "horrific" attack, saying: "Attacks that deliberately target civilians exercising the right to freely practice their religion are violations of fundamental human rights and international humanitarian law... The perpetrators must be brought to justice."
In a statement the European Union said that "the perpetrators of this despicable crime, for which the terrorist group 'IS-Khorasan' claimed responsibility, must be brought to justice.
The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) called the attack against human rights values, saying it was a continued sting of deliberately targeting the country's Hazara and Shia community. Chairman of the high council for national reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah and former president Hamid Karzai also condemned the attack and expressed their condolences to the victims' families.
(With agency inputs)
