MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 31st July, 2023) The Russian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned on Monday the deadly attack that occurred at a political party convention in Pakistan over the weekend, adding that no Russian citizens were among the victims.
"We strongly condemn yet another barbaric extremist raid. We express our sympathy and support to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to all those injured," the ministry said in a statement.
Moscow expects that "the organizers of this atrocity will be found and get their just deserts," the ministry added.
"According to available data, there are no Russian citizens among the victims," the statement read.
The attack occurred on Sunday at around 4:00 p.m. local time (11:00 GMT) at a gathering of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) party in the town of Khar, located near the Afghan border, in Pakistan's northwestern Bajaur district. The death toll from the attack reached 54 on Monday, media reported, citing police. Police qualified the deadly blast as a terrorist attack, saying that Islamic State (terrorist organization banned in Russia) was responsible for it.
According to data from the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies independent think tank, terrorist activities in the country have increased by 79% over the first half of 2023.
