COPENHAGEN, June 2: Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen condemned a suicide bombing on his country’s embassy in Pakistan on Monday, describing the attack as “cowardly” and unjustifiable.

“Regardless of the motive and regardless of who committed it, this is a horrible, cowardly crime, which we condemn vehemently and for which there is no justification,” Rasmussen told reporters. He insisted “Denmark will not change its policies due to terrorism.”

“We will not give in to terrorists and we will maintain the foreign and security policies we have been pursuing,” he added.

The head of Denmark’s centre-right coalition government said his country had received “condolences and commiseration for what happened from the Pakistani president, prime minister and foreign minister.”

“The government is following the situation closely and is in constant contact with Pakistani authorities,” he said, adding that the Danish foreign ministry was preparing to send a support team to Islamabad.

“The (Danish) intelligence services are in the process of clarifying the circumstances surrounding this bomb attack,” Rasmussen said.

In Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana condemned the “outrageous” suicide bombing.

“I condemn this morning’s outrageous terrorist attack against the Danish Embassy in Islamabad,” Solana said in a statement.

“I would like to express my condolences to the authorities of Denmark and Pakistan and to the families of the dead and injured,” he added.

The Organisation of the Islamic Conference also condemned the incident, saying it flouted religious tenets.

OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu was “deeply upset by this violent and extremist act,” the 57-nation Jeddah-based bloc said in a statement.

“Islam rejects violence and terrorism in all its forms,” the statement quoted Ihsanoglu as saying after the suicide bombing outside the Danish embassy killed and wounded several people in what was seen as a new reprisal for the publication by Danish newspapers of sacrilegious cartoons.

Ihsanoglu expressed sympathy for the victims’ families.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.—Agencies

Our New York Correspondent adds: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the bombing and reiterated his total rejection of such acts of terrorism.

He expressed condolences to the families of the victims and to the government of Pakistan, according to a statement issued by his spokesperson.