Moscow views the terrorist attack on a mosque in the Afghan city of Kunduz as a barbaric act aimed at destabilizing the situation in Afghanistan at a new stage in its history, the Russian MFA said in a statement on Monday.
"We regard this barbaric action as aimed at destabilizing the situation in Afghanistan at a new stage of its history, at undermining the line of those forces who are interested in inter-Afghan reconciliation and the establishment of inter-ethnic and inter-confessional accord in the country," the ministry indicated.
According to the diplomatic mission, Moscow strongly condemns the terrorist attack of October 8 which killed about 150 people and injured about 200.
"We expect that the new Afghan authorities will take all necessary measures to find and punish the organizers of the terrorist attack, as well as intensify efforts to eradicate the threat of ISIS in Afghanistan (the former name of the Islamic State (IS) group, banned in Russia)," the ministry stressed.
According to preliminary reports, the suicide bomber detonated the explosive device while inside the mosque. Mohammad Jalal, a member of the Taliban (banned in Russia) cultural commission, said the attack was carried out by militants from the Islamic State in Khorasan, an offshoot of the extremist organization IS. The Taliban, who took power in Afghanistan, had earlier condemned the bombing and promised to find and punish its perpetrators.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials from TASS