UN condemns deadly terrorist attack on Shia mosque in Saudi Arabia

“The attack caused many deaths and injuries as people were gathering for Friday prayers,” a statement from Ban's spokesman's office confirmed.

“The Secretary-General stresses that such attacks on places of worship are abhorrent and intended to promote sectarian conflict. He hopes that the perpetrators will be swiftly brought to justice,” the statement added.

The Secretary-General also extended his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and expresses his sympathies to the Government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In a separate statement issued later in the day, the Security Council also condemned the attack, for which, it said, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) had claimed responsibility.

The council also noted in its statement that the attack had resulted in the death of at least 21 people.

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Daesh) at a mosque in Qatif, Saudi Arabia on 22 May 2015, resulting in the death of at least 21 people.

The members of the Council expressed their deep sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims of this heinous act and to the Government of Saudi Arabia.

They reiterated that “ISIL must be defeated and that the intolerance, violence and hatred it espouses must be stamped out.”

The Council members in their statement further emphasized that rather than being intimidated by such continued acts of barbarism perpetrated by ISIL, they have stiffened their resolve that there has to be a common effort amongst Governments and institutions, including those in the region most affected, to counter ISIL, groups that have pledged allegiance to ISIL, Ansar Al Shari'a entities, and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with Al-Qaida, as the Council resolved in Council resolutions 2170 (2014), 2199 (2015) and 2214 (2015).

Underlining the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice, the Council urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Saudi authorities in this regard.

Photo: UN Photo/Mark Garten (file)