13 Arabs killed in New Zealand mosque attacks

As many as 13 of the victims of a mass shooting attack at two New Zealand mosques that killed 49 worshipers were possibly from Arab countries, local authorities have announced.

MENA

2 min read

The New Arab & agencies

16 March, 2019

Palestine acknowledged some of its victims could have been counted by other countries [Getty]

As many as 13 of the victims of a mass shooting attack at two New Zealand mosques that killed 49 worshipers were possibly from Arab countries, local authorities have announced.

Egypt said on Saturday that four of its citizens were among the dead, the migration ministry announced on its Facebook page.

The ministry named them as Munir Suleiman, Ahmad Gamaluddin Abdel Ghani, Ashraf al-Morsi and Ashraf al-Masri.

Jordan's Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday that the number of its citizens killed rose to four after a man died of his injuries.

Five other Jordanians were wounded and are receiving treatment, the ministry has not released the names of the victims.

Jordanian Sabri Daraghmeh said his 4-year-old niece is fighting for her life after being wounded in the attack.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that at least four Palestinians were among those killed, but acknowledged they could have been counted by Jordan or other countries.

The Saudi-owned satellite news channel Al-Arabiya reported that one of two citizens of the kingdom wounded in the New Zealand mosque attack died.

A heavily armed Australian right-wing extremist attacked two mosques in New Zealand's Christchurch on Friday, killing 49 people and wounding dozens.

The grand imam of Egypt's famed Al-Azhar mosque and university, Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb, has condemned the attacks as a "horrific terrorist attack".

The "rising rhetoric of hatred and xenophobia and the spread of Islamophobia" were to blame, he said.