Death is always petrifying. When it came in the form of multiple bombs that ripped through passenger trains at rush hour in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, the word "gory" took on new meaning.

 

Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.

 

The international community has united with the people and government of India in the wake of Tuesday's tragedy. The blasts, which the Indian government has described as the work of terrorists, cannot frighten the world into coming to terms with the perpetrators of such outrages.

 

Nothing can justify such terrorist acts. The condemnation in the strongest possible terms from world leaders testifies to the strength of the international community in face of these terrorist attacks.

 

Terrorism has turned out to be the curse of our times. Terrorists launched similar attacks on transport systems in Madrid and London, killing and wounding hundreds of people.

 

These attacks cannot shake the determination of the international community to cut this tumor from the globe.

 

While they have caused a feeling of fear and terror, the terrorists will never succeed in destroying our will to fight.

 

During this difficult moment, we join the people of India in their hour of bereavement. While reaching out to those who lost their loved ones, we wish the wounded a speedy recovery.

 

India has fallen victim to terrorism in recent years, with Tuesday's blasts in Mumbai being among the worst attacks. The coordinated explosions in Mumbai were accompanied by a string of grenade attacks in Srinagar that killed eight people.

 

Mumbai suffered blasts in 1993 that killed more than 250 people.

 

Those responsible for Tuesday's bombings should be brought to justice as soon as possible in order to account for their actions.

 

Suspicion fell on Kashmiri militants who have repeatedly carried out near-simultaneous explosions in attacks on Indian cities, including bombings last year at three markets in New Delhi.

 

Tuesday's attacks were an atrocity. They appeared timed to inflict maximum carnage in the Indian city of 16 million, more than 6 million of whom ride the crowded rail network every day.

 

The Press Trust of India, citing railway officials, said all the blasts hit first-class cars, a sign that the assailants were targeting the professional class in a city that has come to embody India's 21st century ambitions.

 

The spirit of Mumbai, embodied by the way people helped each other during such a crisis, deserves our respect. Their determination to keep their lives and the economy moving normally shows that the people of India will not accept failure.

 

The shockwaves from the blasts in Mumbai were felt in other part of the world. Security was tightened in cities around the world from New Delhi to New York.

 

When international solidarity is available, the fight on terrorism should be done effectively and comprehensively.

 

(China Daily July 13, 2006)