Jeddah-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia condemned on Wednesday “in the strongest terms” the attack on a church in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray near Rouen in France where a priest was killed by ISIS followers, it further strongly condemned the attack that targeted the area around Mogadishu airport which resulted in a number of deaths and injuries from the African Union peacekeeping forces, special security forces and civilians..

A foreign ministry official source said of the incident: “This cowardly terrorist act is rejected by the Islamic religion, which necessitates protecting places of worship and prohibits violating their sacredness.”

“It is also rejected by all other religions, values, humanitarian principles and international norms and conventions,” he added.

At the end of his statement, the source offered condolences to the victim’s family, the government and the people of the friendly Republic of France.

Of the incident in Mogadishu, the kingdom condoled the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery, stressing “support for the republic of Somalia.”

The source gave the Kingdom’s condolences to the families of the victims, the Republic of Somalia’s government and people and the African Union and wishes the injured a speedy recovery, stressing the Kingdom’s support for the republic of Somalia.

On the other hand, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly condemned the terrorist attack which targeted a church near the French city of Rouen.

OIC Secretary General Iyad Ameen Madani denounced the heinous crime and expressed full solidarity with the French Government.

Madani reiterated the OIC support to the international community in its efforts to root out terrorism and combat terrorist groups and those who disseminate extremist and destructive ideas, threatening international peace and security.

He reaffirmed that Islam is a religion of tolerance, peace and coexistence among different religions and that such criminal and barbarous acts attributed to groups, which claim affiliation to Islam, should not affect the true image of Islam.

The hostage-taking in the church left a priest dead and another man critically wounded.