BEIJING, January 2: The Chinese government has expressed its profound shock over the brutal assault on civilians in New Orleans, USA, and extended condolences to the families affected. This statement came from Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning during a news briefing on Thursday.
“Our hearts are heavy with sorrow over this violent incident. We offer our deepest condolences to the victims and their families in this tragic situation,” Mao remarked.
The diplomat stressed that China consistently condemns acts of terrorism that target innocent civilians and noted that there were no reports of casualties among Chinese nationals due to the attack.
Both Sweden and Norway have also denounced the act of terror, which resulted in the deaths of 15 people and left 35 others injured on New Year’s Day.
The Norwegian Foreign Ministry released a statement on X, saying, “We strongly condemn the horrifying attack in New Orleans and extend our heartfelt sympathies to the victims and their families during these challenging times.”
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard echoed this sentiment, offering their support to the families impacted by the tragedy.
“Sweden stands united with the United States in the face of this calamity,” Kristersson stated on X.
The FBI confirmed to RIA Novosti that a pickup truck ran into a crowd on Bourbon Street in the historic area of the city shortly after 3:15 a.m. (09:15 GMT) on Wednesday. The assailant reportedly engaged in a gunfight with the police, resulting in two fatalities, before being shot dead.
The suspect has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old citizen of the US from Texas, and a flag of the Islamic State terrorist organization (banned in Russia) was discovered in his vehicle.
(UNI)
