N. Korea sends condolences for London terror attack

North Korea on Friday sent condolences to the UK for Wednesday's terror attack in London outside the Parliament which claimed five lives.

According to a report on state-media KCNA, North Korean Prime Minister Pak Pong-ju sent the condolence message to his British counterpart Theresa May, Efe news reported.

Pak stressed the North Korean government's consistent rejection of all forms of terrorism.

The UK is one of only western European countries that maintains relations with the isolated country.

The good bilateral relations led to the opening of embassies in 2000 in Pyongyang and London, where the second highest official of the North Korean legation, Thae Yong-ho, defected last year.

The London attacker, Khalid Masood, a British national with a criminal record for offences including assault and weapons possession, rammed his car into pedestrians on the Westminster Bridge and fatally stabbed an officer guarding the Parliament building before being gunned down by the police.

The terrorist group Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday.

Police have arrested 10 people so far.

--IANS

ksk/dg