Italy stands with Britain - Gentiloni

(ANSA) - Rome, May 23 - President Sergio Mattarella and Premier Paolo Gentiloni led Italian politicians in expressing grief Tuesday at the attack the previous night on a concert in Manchester that killed at least 22 people and injured 59.
    The attack was reportedly carried on by a man who detonated an improvised explosive device at a concert of the young American singer of Italian descent Ariana Grande.
    The performer has a large following among teenage girls and children and many minors were among the casualties.
    Gentiloni expressed his condolences via Twitter, writing in Italian that "Italy stands beside the British people and government. Our thoughts are with the victims of the Manchester attack and their families". Mattarella on Tuesday sent Queen Elizabeth II a message following Monday's suicide attack on a concert in Manchester.
    "All of Italy is dismayed by the images that came from Manchester during the night," the message read. "The news of the involvement of very young boys and girls, victims of this senseless criminal violence while they were at the serene occasion of a concert, causes particular pain".
    Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano tweeted a similar message.
    "Condolences and pain for what happened in Manchester," Alfano said. "We are close to the British people, to the government, to the injured and to the families of the victims". Former prime minister and head of the Democratic Party (PD) Matteo Renzi wrote a Facebook post saying that "sowing death in a concert among the young, where music should hold sway: what happened in Manchester breaks one's heart. Prayers and thoughts for the victims and their families, devastated by pain that begins today and will never end".
    On Instagram, Renzi also posted a photo with a British flag and the caption: "our thoughts are with Manchester".