U.S. President Barack Obama condemned Monday's deadly terrorist attacks on the Moscow subway, calling them "heinous," and expressed his condolences to the Russian people.
Two blasts at the Lubyanka and Park Kultury subway stations occurred within 40 minutes of each other during the early morning rush hour on Monday. The first explosion went off at around 8:00 a.m. Moscow time (5:00 GMT). A total of 38 people were killed and more than 60 injured.
"The American people stand united with the people of Russia in opposition to violent extremism and heinous terrorist attacks that demonstrate such disregard for human life, and we condemn these outrageous acts," Obama said in a statement.
Other leaders earlier described the attacks as "cowardly" and expressed their condolences to victims in messages of compassion and support for Russia.
"We deplore these cowardly attacks in the most resolute manner," a statement by the German Foreign Ministry said. "Nothing can justify these vicious acts."
A similar message came from the French Foreign Ministry.
"France resolutely denounces these terrorist acts and assures Russia in its full support," it said.
Russian investigators said two female suicide bombers were responsible for the blasts. They said the explosive devices used were equivalent to 4 kg of TNT at the Lubyanka station and 1.5-2 kg of TNT at the Park Kultury station.
"People in our country share the pain of the heavy and unrecoverable loss," Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said in his message to his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev.
"I am deeply shocked by the bloody terrorist act against peaceful people," a message from Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius said.
MOSCOW, March 29 (RIA Novosti)
