Islamabad, 6 March 2022 (TDI): The Minister of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation of Somalia, Abdisaid M. Ali called the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday to condemn the cowardly terrorist attack in Peshawar.
After offering his prayers and sympathies for the victims of the attack, Ali voiced Somalia’s solidarity with the people of Pakistan.
Foreign Minister Qureshi thanked his Somalian counterpart for the call and appreciated his words of support for Pakistan.
Thank you to my brother FM @4rukun of Somalia for your call condemning the cowardly terror attack on worshippers in Peshawar. 🇵🇰 🇸🇴
— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) March 5, 2022
The two Ministers also discussed bilateral matters, reiterating their commitment to further deepen and boost ties between Pakistan and Somalia.
The Peshawar attack:
On Friday, a suicide bomber blasted at the Shiite Kucha Risaldar mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan, as the people prayed. The attack killed 61 people, including the imam, and injured 196.
Prior to the incident, two armed men, clad in black, opened fire at police officers outside the mosque resulting in the death of the gunman and a policeman. The surviving terrorist entered the mosque, started shooting the people who were praying there, and then detonated himself causing a strong explosion.
This was the second deadliest attack in Pakistan after the 2018 Mastung and Bannu bombings. The responsibility for the attack was claimed by the IS affiliate ‘Islamic State – Khorasan Province’ and the bomber was identified by IS as Julaybib al-Kabli.
Pakistan-Somalia diplomatic ties:
Pakistan and Somalia have always maintained strong bilateral relations. Diplomatic ties between the two countries were officially established in 1960. And Somalia also has an embassy in Islamabad with Khadija Mohamed Almakhzoumi currently serving as the ambassador of Somalia to Pakistan. The two countries also share a common religion and are both members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
