Int’l condemnation for church in Helwan Terrorist Attack

CAIRO – 29 December 2017: The United States Embassy strongly condemned today’s terrorist attack on the church in Helwan, south of Cairo.

They offered condolences to the families of the victims and wishes for speedy recovery for those wounded.

“The United States stands steadfastly with the people of Egypt in the face of such cowardly attacks,” the statement said on Friday.

The French Ambassador in Egypt, Stéphane Romatet, tweeted that France is in solidarity with the victims of the attack, and with Egypt in its fight with terrorism.

#فرنسا تعبر عن تضامنها مع ضحايا اعتداء #حلوان ضد كنيسة قبطية وهي تقف مع #مصر في مواجهة الإرهاب https://t.co/vBtLlgVmKH

— Stéphane Romatet (@SRomatet) ٢٩ ديسمبر، ٢٠١٧

German Ambassador to Egypt Julius Georg Luy tweeted that Germany stands beside Egypt in confronting terrorism, adding “we shouldn’t allow the terrorism to divide among Egyptians.”

السفير الألماني بالقاهرة جيورج لوي: "ولا يجوز السماح للإرهاب ولن يتمكن من أن يحقق هدفه في زرع الفرقة بين #المصريين. وإنني أشاطر أسر وأصدقاء الضحايا الأحزان، وأتمنى الشفاء العاجل للمصابين. وإن #ألمانيا تقف إلى جانب مصر وكافة المصريين في #الحرب_ضد_الإرهاب." 2/2 #حلوان

— German Embassy Cairo (@GermanEmbCairo) ٢٩ ديسمبر، ٢٠١٧

Egyptian security authorities intensified Friday its security measures in Helwan following the terrorist attack that targeted a church there.

According to Health Ministry’s spokesman Khaled Mejahed, 10 were killed and five were injured, adding that two of the injured were in critical condition, but all the necessary medicine and medical supplies are available in the hospital.

The Egyptian Ministry of Interior declared also that two policemen were killed. One of the militants was fatally shot by the police guarding the Church of Great Martyr Mina in al-Maasara district in Helwan, while the second one managed to escape.

The security forces defused an explosive belt that was fastened around the killed militant's chest.

The attack attempt was thwarted amid high security measures taken by the Ministry of Interior nationwide ahead of Christmas celebrations in Egypt.