*UPDATE WITH MORE CONDEMNATIONS
By Hussein Mahmoud and Mohamed al-Samai
CAIRO (AA) – Arab countries lined up on Saturday to condemn a shooting attack in Munich, Germany, in which at least ten people were killed.
An 18-year-old German-Iranian gunman opened fire near a shopping mall in Munich on Friday evening, killing at least nine people. The gunman later killed himself.
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Abul-Gheit said the attack sheds the light on the “unprecedented escalation in terrorist acts” around the world.
Yemen’s Foreign Ministry termed the shooting spree as a “heinous crime”.
“It shows the brutality of the terrorist organizations, which target the innocent people in a way that runs counter to all human and moral values,” the ministry said in a statement published by the official Saba News Agency.
It went on to call on the international community to stand united against terrorism “which targets the innocent and undermines security and stability”.
Iyad Madani, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), strongly condemned Friday’s attack in Munich, terming terrorists as “enemies of life”.
“The OIC expresses solidarity with the German government and people against this heinous terrorist crime,” he said in a statement.
Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, for his part, sent cables of condolences to German President Joachim Gauck and Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Essebsi reiterated Tunisia’s solidarity with Germany “in this painful situation and in facing the phenomenon of extremism and violence”.
The Jordanian government also condemned the “terrorist” incident in Munich.
In a statement, government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani called on the international community “to join hands to tackle extremism and fight terrorism”.
The Cairo-based Al-Azhar, the highest seat of learning in the Sunni Muslim world, also denounced the shooting attack and offered condolences to families of the victims.
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry also joined the chorus of condemnation, calling in a statement for rallying efforts to uproot terrorism.
