Following the terrorist attack in a Pakistani mosque which killed at least 15, injured and left several in critical condition on Friday, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid has extended condolences to his counterpart in Pakistan, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

While the bomb blast, believed to be targeted by “Taliban figures”, took down worshippers inside a mosque in southwestern Quetta, FM Shahid expressed his grief in hearing the news of the innocent, who were killed and wounded by the explosion.

Condemning the terrorist attack, the minister reiterated Maldives commitment to stand against terrorism in “all its forms and manifestations”.

The message further reads that the government condemns the cowardly acts of terror and violence that are targeted at innocent people, especially in sacred places of worship.

Further, Shahid said that Maldives is committed to work closely with the international community to combat the scourge of global terrorism.

Shahid went on to affirm that the country stands in solidarity with the government and people of Pakistan, in this time of immense tragedy.

International media reports that the death toll could rise as the bomb blast tore through the congregation during evening prayers. It has also been reported that the Islamic State has “claimed responsibility” for the terror attack in Quetta, a city that has a history of militant-related violence according tomedia.