World leaders condemn terror attacks

Nations and politicians around the globe expressed solidarity in condemning the grisly terror strikes that rocked Tunisia, Kuwait and France on Friday.

In France, a man was beheaded at a gas factory near Lyons, a gunman opened fire at a Tunisian resort, killing 37 and a bomb exploded in a mosque in Kuwait, killing dozens. According to the US State Department, there were no indications that the attacks were coordinated.

UN condemns strikes

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon strongly criticized the attacks in a statement. "Far from weakening the international community's resolve to fight the scourge of terrorism, these heinous attacks will only strengthen the commitment of the United Nations to help defeat those bent on murder, destruction and the annihilation of human development and culture," UN spokesman Farhan Haq said.

The German government also condemned the attack on a gas factory in France. Minister of the Chancellery, Peter Altmaier, wrote a Twitter message in French to communicate Berlin's solidarity and sympathy to France in these troubled times.

German authorities have meanwhile joined French officials in the investigations in Lyons. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg also told leaders of the EU at a meeting in Brussels that they needed to talk about "new threats facing Europe." Europeans needed to "invest in their own defense to deal with a dramatically changed security environment," he added.

US expresses solidarity

The White House also vowed to "fight the scourge of terrorism " and condemned the heinous attacks in the three countries. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of these heinous attacks, their loved ones and the people of all three countries," a statement said.

"We stand with these nations as they respond to attacks on their soil today and we have been in contact with appropriate counterparts in all three countries to offer any necessary support," it added.

Meanwhile, the US' Homeland Security Secretary, Jeh Johnson said his country's law enforcement had to be prepared, especially ahead of the July 4 holiday.

Muslim clerics denounce terror

Leaders in the Islamic world also criticized the strikes with Al-Azhar, a leading Sunni Muslim institution in Egypt saying the shooting in Tunisia was a "violation of all religious and humanitarian norms."

The Al-Azhar, one of the oldest Muslim centers of learning, also condemned the suicide bombing in Kuwait and called on the "International community to defeat this terrorist group [the Islamic State] through all available means." It also said that the group has done a lot to malign Islam.

Sunni cleric Youssef el-Qaradawi referred to the militants as worse than "beasts" and said "Beasts don't kill other animals except for what they need to eat, but some people never get their fill from murder and blood."

mg/jil (Reuters, AFP, dpa)