British leaders condemn terrorist attacks in India

Source: Xinhua | 11-28-2008 09:12

LONDON, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- British leaders on Thursday condemned the terrorist attacks in Mumbai that killed more than 100 people and urged the world to "come together" to combat terrorism.

"I think I speak for the whole world, shock and outrage at the tragic destruction of innocent lives. I have already sent my sympathy and support to Prime Minister Singh of India and to say we will do everything we can to help the Indian government," British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told reporters.

"Our first duty is towards British people caught up in this terror in Mumbai...it is too early to say any numbers for the numbers of people who are injured. We will give that during the course of the day. What I can assure you is we are doing everything within our power," Brown said.

The prime minister pledged to "root out terrorism" and called for the sharing of information between countries on the activities of suspected extremists, saying the world "has to come together to fight these terrorist groups."

Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Wednesday night also issued a statement denouncing the attacks.

"I condemned these attacks unreservedly," Miliband said, adding that the attacks "remind us, yet again, of the threat we face from violent extremists."

"The UK and India will continue their joint efforts to counter the actions of terrorist," he said.

The number of British nationals reported to be injured will likely increase and the identities of the hostages being held in Mumbai remain unknown, the BBC quoted Richard Stagg, the British High Commissioner in India, as saying.

"We have visited most of the central hospitals where those injured have been taken and have met seven British victims who are in hospital at the moment and we understand there is likely to be some other injured of British nationality," Stagg said.

Stagg said Britain is "standing shoulder to shoulder with India."

"We think that it is an appalling, completely unjustifiable attack, and we feel that we are both under attack from terrorism internationally and we need to work together very closely to deal with this threat," Stagg said.

More than 101 people have been killed and about 250 injured in the series of terrorist attacks at luxury hotels, train stations and hospitals in the business hub of India since Wednesday evening.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei