BRUSSELS (AFP) - The European Union pledged on Friday to support Kenya's fight against extremism after 148 people were killed by Somalia's Al-Qaeda-affiliated Shebab Islamists in an attack on a university.

"Violent extremism has once again targeted the right of the people of Kenya to live in peace and freedom of religion," the bloc's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement.

"The terrorists showed their determination to undermine education, to provoke division between different faiths, to deprive the country of a future of economic and cultural growth, of stability and dignity for all its citizens." Mogherini, the former Italian foreign minister, restated the 28-nation EU's support for Kenya in "overcoming the threat from such terrorism", adding that it was "important that all play their part if we are to achieve that." "The EU's solidarity at this time is assured, and we will work on reinforcing our support for Kenya's counter-terrorism efforts," she said.

Pope Francis has led worldwide condemnation of the day-long siege at Garissa University, Kenya's deadliest attack since the 1998 bombing of the US embassy in Nairobi.