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Rediff.com  » News » India shocked at the attack on Lankan team

India shocked at the attack on Lankan team

Source: PTI
Last updated on: March 03, 2009 14:06 IST
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Voicing shock at the "audacious" attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, India on Tuesday said terrorism based in Pakistan was a "grave" threat to the entire world and it would be in the interest of Islamabad to take steps to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure.

"We are shocked at the audacious attack on the Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore this morning," the external affairs ministry spokesman, Vishnu Prakash said.

"Terrorism based in Pakistan is a grave threat to the entire world. It is in Pakistan's own interest to take prompt, meaningful and decisive steps to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure once and for all," he said.

"New Delhi offers sympathies and good wishes for the speedy recovery of the Lankan players as well as of those other individuals who were caught up in the attack," the spokesman added.

Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said, "The attack underscores the enormity of the threat that emerges from terrorism centred in Pakistan."

Sharma noted that India had been insisting on dismantling of the terror infrastructure in Pakistan and this attack has once again highlighted the need to do so.

Six Lankan players were injured when around a dozen terrorists armed with rifles and rocket launchers targeted them in Lahore. Five policemen were killed in the strike.

Earlier, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday expressed shock over the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan.

"We condemn the incident. We are sorry for the Sri Lankan team. We hope that the players...I read two three names...Samarveera, Mendis...I hope they are safe and will recover. We are shocked by that incident," Chiadambaram said in New Delhi.

To a query about the World Cup being held in India and the security arrangements, the Home Minister said, "Let the World cup come. We will provide them security".

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