Egypt: 235 killed,109 injured in mosque attack in North Sinai

Around 235 and 109 injured killed after an explosion struck a mosque in Egypt's northern Sinai on Friday.

The blast occurred in the al-Rawda village, west of el-Arish, shortly after Friday prayers. News reports said that after the explosion, gunmen in four off-road vehicles opened fire on worshipers.

No group claimed responsibility for the assault but it was the deadliest yet in the region where for three years Egyptian security forces have battled an Islamic State insurgency that has killed hundreds of police and soldiers.

Egypt's government has declared three days of mourning in response to the attack that struck the Al-Rawdah mosque in Bir al-Abed west of El-Arish, state television said.The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses that belonged to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip.

The Egypt government has announced three days of mourning, even as President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi chaired an emergency meeting with officials to review security situation after the deadly attack.

Egypt has witnessed a series of terror attacks this year claiming scores of lives. On May 26, gunmen attacked a bus carrying Coptic Christians in central Egypt, killing at least 28 people and wounding 25 others.

On April 9, two suicide bombings at Palm Sunday services at churches in the northern cities of Alexandria and Tanta left 46 people dead.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump condemned as "horrible and cowardly" a devastating bomb and gun attack today that killed more than 200 people at a mosque in Egypt. "The world cannot tolerate terrorism, we must defeat them militarily and discredit the extremist ideology that forms the basis of their existence!" he said on Twitter.

Also, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the terror attack on an Egyptian mosque that claimed over 200 lives and said India supports the fight against terrorism.

"Strongly condemn the barbaric terrorist attack on a place of worship in Egypt. Our deep condolences at the loss of innocent lives," the prime minister tweeted. He said India "resolutely supports" the fight against all forms of terrorism and stands with the people and the Egyptian government.

OneIndia News