NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have strongly condemned the deadly explosions at the Boston Marathon which killed at least three people and left scores of others injured on Monday.
In a statement posted on the NATO website, Rasmussen said he was "deeply shocked" by the explosions, and expressed his "heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones of those who were killed."
"I wish a full recovery to those who were injured. My thoughts are with the people of Boston and all of the United States," he added.
The U.N. chief condemned the bombing as "senseless violence," and said it was "all the more appalling for taking place at an event renowned for bringing people together from around the world in a spirit of sportsmanship and harmony."
Ban made the remarks while speaking at a ceremony held at the U.N. headquarters in New York to commemorate the 19th anniversary of the Rwanda genocide, as reports about the blasts were coming in.
"As more details emerge I am sure we will return to this with a more formal statement. But for now I just wanted to say that my thoughts are with everyone in Boston," Ban added, expressing his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wishing those wounded a speedy recovery.
The two near-simultaneous bomb explosions occurred about 100 yards apart near the crowded finish line of the 117th edition of the Boston Marathon on Monday afternoon. An eight-year-old child was reportedly among those killed in the twin bombings, which also left more than 140 others injured.
The city of Boston was put on high alert following the explosions, for which no one has claimed responsibility so far. Although police questioned a number of people of interest throughout the day, there have been no arrests and no suspects.
President Barack Obama has since pledged to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice as soon as possible. Stopping short of calling it a terrorist act, he acknowledged that investigators were yet to ascertain the motive of the attack.
"We still do not know who did this or why. But make no mistake -- we will get to the bottom of this. And we will find out who did this; we'll find out why they did this. Any responsible individuals, any responsible groups will feel the full weight of justice," Obama stressed.
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