The US condemned Wednesday's attack in Turkey in which a gunman killed a judge and injured four other people.

 

"It was a tragedy, and certainly, we condemn such an attack," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said at a briefing.

 

"I understand that there were a number of people who were injured in the attacks, some gravely injured. So it is something that we condemn. Our thoughts are certainly with those who were victims in this attack, and certainly our thoughts and prayers are with the Turkish people right now," McCormack said.

 

McCormack made the remarks after a Turkish gunman, proclaiming himself as a "soldier of Allah," started the shooting rampage in atop court.

 

Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer has strongly condemned the attack and said it would go down as a "black mark in the republic's history."

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 18, 2006)