Italian Foreign Minister Paolo
Gentiloni on Thursday commented on what he called the
"appalling" assassination of British Labour MP Jo Cox earlier in
the day.
"I am shocked," Gentiloni tweeted shortly after news broke
that the 41-year-old mother of two - a former head of policy for
charity Oxfam who has spoken out for the victims of Syria's
civil war - died in hospital after being stabbed and shot by a
man near Leeds.
The assailant reportedly shouted "Britain First" as he
attacked her, a week before the country is due to hold a
referendum on whether to remain in the European Union.
According to media reports, the MP struggled with her
52-year-old assailant during the attack near the library in
Birstall in her West Yorkshire constituency.
Labour, like all the main British parties, is campaigning
to stay in the EU.
Britain First is the name of a far-right political grouping
which is pushing for Britain to leave the EU.
The man shot three bullets and stabbed the mother-of-two
several times, eye witness Clarke Rothwell told the BBC. He said
the last bullet at close range hit her "close to the head".
Supporters of both the "Remain" and "Leave" side of the
June 23 referendum have suspended their campaigning following
the incident, The Guardian paper reported.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said he had cancelled
a planned trip to Gibraltar. Cox, a Cambridge University
graduate, was elected as Labour MP for Batley and Spen in the
2015 general election.
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