People hold up a Catalan flag at a minute's silence in Barcelona for the terrorist attack victims in Las Ramblas, Barcelona. World leaders condemned the attack. Francisco Seco / AP Photo
People hold up a Catalan flag at a minute's silence in Barcelona for the terrorist attack victims in Las Ramblas, Barcelona. World leaders condemned the attack. Francisco Seco / AP Photo
People hold up a Catalan flag at a minute's silence in Barcelona for the terrorist attack victims in Las Ramblas, Barcelona. World leaders condemned the attack. Francisco Seco / AP Photo
People hold up a Catalan flag at a minute's silence in Barcelona for the terrorist attack victims in Las Ramblas, Barcelona. World leaders condemned the attack. Francisco Seco / AP Photo

Spain attacks: Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed asks world to unite against terrorism


Claire Corkery
  • English
  • Arabic

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has called on the global community to unite against terrorism following the Spain attacks in which at least 14 people are reported to have died and more than 100 injured.

“The international community must stand united against terrorism and its supporters in every way possible,” Sheikh Mohammed tweeted on Friday.

“My sincere condolences to Spain's people and leadership who have endured this cowardly act of terrorism. I wish the injured a fast recovery.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation reiterated its position that it rejected all forms of violence and terrorism, the ministry affirmed the UAE's solidarity with the Spanish government in its fight against violence and extremism.

The statement also urged the international community to confront and uproot the scourge that posed a threat to world security and stability.

Politicians and heads of state across the world also condemned the terror attack.

Russia’s president Vladimir Putin called for the world to unite in the “uncompromising struggle against the forces of terror” in a telegram of condolences.

"We resolutely condemn this cruel and cynical crime committed against civilians.

"What has happened once again confirms the need for a real unification of efforts of the entire world community in an uncompromising struggle against the forces of terror," he said.

France’s new President Emmanuel Macron has expressed his condolences for the victims on Twitter in Spanish.

Theresa May, Britain’s prime minister expressed a message of solidarity, saying that the UK stands with Spain against terror.

The United States’ Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said his country was committed to tracking down terrorist.

"Terrorists around the world should know that the United States and our allies are resolved to find you and bring you to justice," he said.

While President Donald Trump offered his assistance to authorities in Spain on Twitter.

He tweeted: "The United States condemns the terror attack in Barcelona, Spain, and will do whatever is necessary to help. Be tough & strong, we love you!"

Barack Obama, whose response to the Charlottesville attack at the weekend became the most liked tweet ever, sent his thoughts to the victims.

Outside of politics, Spain’s royal court have condemned the incident, calling the perpetrators “murderers” in a statement released on the royal family’s official Twitter account.

The message- translated into English- read: “They are murderers, just criminals who will not terrify us. All Spain is Barcelona. Las Ramblas will be back to everyone.”

King Abdullah II of Jordan also sent a message of condolence via his official social media account.

The Royal Hashemite Court tweeted: “His Majesty King Abdullah II condemns the deadly attack in #Barcelona #Jordan.”

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is on his way to Barcelona.

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Unresolved crisis

Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.

Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.

The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.

Abandon
Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay
Translated by Arunava Sinha
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