Four Palestinians Killed, 6 Injured in New Zealand Mosque Shootings - Ministry

GAZA (Sputnik) - The recent mass shooting in two mosques in New Zealand left four Palestinians killed and six injured, while three others are still unaccounted for, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

"Four Palestinians were killed, six were injured, while the track of three others has been lost in the wake of the terrorist attack in New Zealand," the ministry said in a statement.

READ MORE: Who Are the People Whose Names New Zealand Mosque Shooter Scrawled on His Gun?

On Friday, local media reported, citing Palestinian Ambassador to Australia and New Zealand Izzat Abdulhadi, that at least one Palestinian had been killed and several others had been injured as a result of the attack in New Zealand's eastern city of Christchurch. According to New Zealand's authorities, many of those affected by the violent attack are members of local migrant communities.

The violent shooting in the mosques rocked Christchurch on Friday, leaving 49 killed and dozens injured. New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called the shooting a terrorist act, saying it was the country's "darkest day."

A total of three people were detained in the wake of the attack, including the 28-year-old suspected shooter, Australian national Brenton Harrison Tarrant, who had explained his motives by his anti-Muslim and anti-migrant views in a manifesto published before the attack.

Earlier on Saturday, a court in New Zealand ruled to remand the suspected shooter in custody until April 5, while the police said they expected further charges to be brought against him.