LONDON-The Head of Jamaat Ahmadiyya has condemned terrorist attacks on their worship places in Lahore and termed it the most cruel and barbaric act while saying the attacks are the culmination of years of persecution of the Ahmadiyya Jamaat, which is a minority sect in Pakistan. During his Friday Sermon in London Mirza Masroor Ahmed said:Today two of our places of worship in Lahore were attacked by extremists. At the moment we do not have full details of what has happened. It is clear though that a number of our Ahmadis have been killed and many others have been injured. These people had merely come to the mosque to offer their Friday prayers and yet became victims of a heinous terrorist attack. May God grant patience to the bereaved and elevate the status of those who have been martyred. In a statement issued here, the head of Ahmadiyya Jamaat said: 'In 1974 legislation was passed that declared Ahmadis to be 'non-Muslim and in 1984 further legislation was passed in which the practice of the faith was outlawed. At regular intervals since then Ahmadis have been attacked but todays attack is the most cruel and barbaric. All Ahmadis, who are based in 195 countries, are peace loving and tolerant people and yet they are continually targeted by extremist factions. The President of Ahmadiyya Community UK Rafiq Hayat said that the attack on two mosques in Pakistan during Friday prayers is an act of sacrilege and an example of pure hate that fuels terrorism. He said that Ahmadi Muslims epitomise the peaceful practice of Islam and to target them highlights that extremists will leave no stone unturned in their quest to spread terror. 'As many have learnt to their cost, the extremists will not discriminate in waging war against the innocent and defenceless, he added. 'We call upon the government in Pakistan to take the strongest possible action to target the extremists responsible for this heinous act of religious desecration and terror, he said.