Kingdom condemns terror attack in Finland

AMMAN  — His Majesty King Abdullah on Saturday condemned the terror attack in the Finnish city of Turku, which killed two people and injured six others on Friday, according to a Royal Court statement. 

His Majesty expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the innocent victims and wished the injured speedy recovery, stressing Jordan's stand and solidarity with Finland in these difficult circumstances and its commitment to supporting regional and international efforts to combat terrorism. 

The government further condemned the “treacherous” terrorist attack that claimed innocent lives after being stabbed by a terrorist, the Jordan News Agency,Petra, reported. 

“The series of terrorist attacks targeting innocents in more than one part of the world highlights once again the extreme thoughts and behaviour of terrorist gangs, just as it requires the international community as a whole to unite in order to eradicate its inhumane endeavours,” State Minister for Media Affairs and Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani stated. 

Finnish police said Saturday that a Moroccan asylum seeker deliberately targeted women in a stabbing spree that left two dead and is being investigated as the country’s first terror attack, Agence France-Presse reported.
Police shot and wounded the knife-wielding suspect, detaining him minutes after Friday’s rampage at a busy market square in Turku, southwestern Finland.
Eight other people were injured, among them six women, police said.

The rampage came amid a series of terror attacks claimed by Daesh, including in Spain on Thursday, and Russia yesterday (see stories on page 5). 

 During a phone call with King Philip VI of Spain on Friday, his Majesty King Abdullah condemned the “brutal and cowardly” terrorist attack that took place on Thursday in the heart of the Spanish city of Barcelona, ​​killing 13 innocent victims and injuring dozens, according to a Royal Court statement. 

King Abdullah affirmed that Jordan stands with Spain in the fight against terrorism, which threatens the security and stability of the entire world and is “contrary to the principles of divine religions and human values”. His Majesty expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the innocent victims and wished the injured speedy recovery. 

Moreover, the Royal Court announced on Friday that the flag at its main gates would fly at half staff starting Friday morning until 6pm of the same day to mourn the innocent victims. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs followed through the Jordanian embassy in Madrid with the Spanish authorities and confirmed on Friday that there were no Jordanians among the dead or injured, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

Minister of State for Media Affairs and Government Spokesperson Mohammad Momani said that the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the Kingdom of Spain was following the details of the terrorist attack. Momani stressed that this “cowardly” incident reflects the magnitude of the horror of terrorism and its perpetrators, reiterating Jordan’s “unwavering” stance towards the inhumane crimes committed by terrorists against the innocent and the necessity of concerted international efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms, Petra reported. 

During a phone call with the Spanish Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi expressed his condolences to the Spanish people and the families of the victims, Petra reported. He stressed the solidarity of the Kingdom adding that the attack, ​​which claimed the lives of innocent people from 34 countries, was an attack on humanity. The defeat of terrorism is a priority that Jordan will continue to work on in cooperation with the international community, Safadi added.