Cairo: Egypt’s Grand Mufti Nazir Ayyad strongly condemned the terrorist attack on a mosque in the village of Fonbieta in rural Kokoro, Niger, which killed 44 civilians and injured 13 during prayer.

According to State Information Service Egypt, in an official statement, Ayyad described the attack as a brutal crime against innocent worshippers, violating all religious and humanitarian principles. He reaffirmed that terrorism has no religion and that extremist groups aim to destabilize societies, calling for international cooperation to confront and eliminate terrorism.

The Mufti offered his condolences to the families of the victims and the people of Niger and prayed for the recovery of the injured. Ayyad also renewed his call for joint efforts to combat extremism, dry up its funding sources, and raise awareness of its dangers, stressing that Islam rejects all forms of violence and stands for peace and mercy.