MOSCOW, June 9 (RIA Novosti) — No Russian citizens have been affected by the attack on Pakistan's International Airport in Karachi Monday night, a representative of the Russian Consulate General in Karachi told RIA Novosti.
"At that moment, fortunately, no Russian citizens were at the airport. The attack was aimed at the old airport building, which houses freight planes, and no Russian planes were there, either," the consulate representative said. "The situation is stabilizing now, it is relatively calm," the official added.
Pakistan's Taliban group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported, citing an official statement from the group.
"We carried out the attack on Karachi airport to avenge the death of Hakimullah Mehsud," AFP wrote, citing TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid, who earlier refused to enter talks with the country's government and promised more attacks in the future.
"It's just the beginning, we have taken revenge for one, we have to take revenge for hundreds," Shahid told AFP.
The attack began on Monday night, initiated by ten militants. Local media reported the attackers detonated a hand grenade, with the French press agency later reporting two powerful explosions. Pakistani authorities say a foreign group including Uzbek citizens took part in the attack. Three of the attackers were suicide bombers, and at least 28 people were killed, according to AFP.
The Taliban group has been carrying out a guerrilla war against the Pakistani government since 2007.
