KABUL - President Ashraf Ghani on Friday joined world’s leaders in condemning a truck attack on crowds of people celebrating France public holiday in Nice city, in which 84 people were killed and dozens more injured a day earlier.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack that also killed 10 children, when a truck drove into a crowd watching a fireworks display in Nice for Bastille Day.
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said among the injured 18 people were in critical condition.
President Francois Hollande said he would call a defence council meeting Friday that brings together defence, interior and other key ministers, before heading to Nice.
Guns and other weapons were found in the truck. The government said the driver of the truck was shot dead after barreling down the palm-lined Promenade des Anglais, sending hundreds fleeing in terror and leaving the area strewn with bodies.
Authorities said they found identity papers belonging to a 31-year-old French-Tunisian citizen in the truck.A photograph showed the front of the truck riddled with bullet holes and badly damaged, with burst tyres.
The holiday typically ends with spectacular fireworks over the Eiffel Tower in Paris, as well as cities around the country.
A statement from the Afghan president’s media office quoted President Ghani as condemning the attack “in the strongest possible words.”
Ghani said the attack on the civilians was ‘barbaric, inhuman, unforgiveable and unjustifiable.’ The Afghan leader said terrorism new no borders and religions and was a threat to the entire world.
The president once again insisted on joint struggle and campaign against the menace of terrorism as he expressed his condolences and sympathy with the people and the government of France.
The president prayed for early recovery of those injured in the truck attack.
Images on television showed the Promenade Des Anglais sealed off, crawling with police and ambulances and authorities from the local Alpes-Maritimes prefecture urged residents to stay indoors.
US President Barack Obama condemned “what appears to be a horrific terrorist attack”, although no group had claimed responsibility for the incident.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said the government and people of Pakistan were deeply saddened by the attack.
“Being the frontline state in the war against terror, Pakistan itself has suffered immensely and has seen a series of tragedies,” he said.
Leading Muslim clerics joined Gulf Arab leaders on Friday in condemning the truck attack that killed at least 84 revellers in the Mediterranean resort of Nice on France's national holiday.
Egypt's top Muslim cleric Shawki Allam condemned the assailant as an “extremist” who “follows in the footsteps of the devil.”
“The Gulf Cooperation Council states stand in solidarity with the French republic following this cowardly criminal incident whose perpetrators have been stripped of all moral and human values,” the bloc's secretary general, Abdullatif al-Zayani, said.
Regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia issued its own statement condemning the “heinous terrorist” act, adding that it stands in “solidarity” with France and will “cooperate with it in confronting terrorist acts in all their forms.”
United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahyan said: “This heinous terrorist crime makes it imperative for all to work decisively and without hesitation to counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on Twitter: “Canadians are shocked by tonight's attack in Nice. Our sympathy is with the victims, and our solidarity with the French people.”
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim condemned the “cowardly terrorist attack that has bloodied Nice on this national celebration day”.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang offered his “condolences” to the victims and said China opposed all forms of terrorism.
The United Nations Security Council called the attack “barbaric and cowardly”.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy evoked “the pain of all good people, who are potential victims of barbarism, folly and the greatest contempt for human life”.(Pajhwok)