Iran Condemns Deadly Attack on Cairo Church

Qassemi made the remark on Sunday while condemning a recent deadly attack on Cairo’s Coptic Cathedral which claimed the lives of 25 people and injured some 50 more.

“With this cowardly anti-Christian attack, which was launched just before the Christian New Year, the bloodthirsty and anarchistic terrorists have once again shown that terrorism knows no borders, nationalities or faiths,” he said.

He stressed that all nations and religions must come together to battle terrorism, which is plaguing the world.

The blast occurred earlier in the day in St Peter’s Church during Sunday mass. No group or individual has so far claimed responsibility for the deadly incident.

“As soon as the priest called us to prepare for prayer, the explosion happened… The explosion shook the place … the dust covered the hall and I was looking for the door, although I couldn’t see anything … I managed to leave in the middle of screams and there were a lot of people thrown on the ground,” a survivor told reporters.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi referred to the bombing as a “terrorist act” which has no place in his country.

The White House released a statement after the attack, stressing that the US “will continue to work with its partners to defeat such terrorist acts.”

The UNSC urged “all states, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities” to make those responsible for the attack accountable.