Afghanistan and the Maldives on Tuesday condemned the terrorist attack on Amarnath Yatra pilgrims in Jammu and Kashmir that claimed the lives of seven people.
"The Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan strongly condemns the terror attack targeting a bus of pilgrims in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir in India as a result of which a number of Indian compatriots, including women and children, were killed and wounded," Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said in a statement on Tuesday following the attack that claimed seven lives.
"Being enemies of civilization and humanity, terrorists don't respect any religion and law but in order to disseminate terror and hate, they target sacred locations and civilians including women and children," Ghani stated.
On Monday night, six women and a man were killed and 19 others injured when militants attacked an unescorted bus from Gujarat at Khanabal in Anantnag district on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.
Two of the women were from Maharashtra while the others belonged to Gujarat.
The 40-day Amarnath pilgrimage began on June 29 and will end on August 7. So far, nearly 140,000 pilgrims have visited the cave shrine.
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"Afghanistan, which is at the frontline in the fight against terrorism, has always evinced its honesty and valour in counter-terrorism efforts, once again stressing on putting up a collective and earnest fight against terrorism through a unified strategy," Ghani said in his statement.
He said that that the government and people of Afghanistan "offer their condolences and sympathies to the government of Republic of India, its people and victims of this terror attack".
In a separate statement, the Indian Ocean archipelago nation of the Maldives also condemned Monday's attack, according to External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay.
"Maldives FM Mohamed Asim strongly condemns Amarnath terror attack in letter to EAM External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. Says committed to fight terrorism," Baglay tweeted.
--IANS
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