Egypt’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the terrorist attacks that took place in southern Somalia on Friday, in an official statement.
The ministry said it stands by Somalia in its fight against brutal terrorism and it will continue to support the African peacekeeping mission. Additionally, it called on the international community to boost efforts to fight terrorism.
On Friday night, militant group Al-Shabab attacked a military base near the town of Al-Ade in southern Somalia. The number of casualties on both sides is yet to be confirmed. However, the Foreign Ministry’s statement said dozens of Kenyan military forces were killed.
Kenya has been part of the African Union’s military peacekeeping force in Somalia to help the UN-backed government fight Al-Shabab, which has been linked to Al-Qaeda.
Meanwhile, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said Friday that an integrated plan is required to combat terrorism worldwide.
Shoukry added that the entire world’s countries must participate in shaping such a plan.
He also said, in a statement to the official agency MENA, that Egypt has warned against the spread of terrorism unless the international community has credibility in addressing such phenomenon.
Shoukry believes that a comprehensive approach is required, not only to address terror organisations, but also to address the economic and social circumstances that he alleged allow terrorism to spread.
“We see the collaboration between the terror groups supporting each other, the complexity of their operations and funding. This confirms that again there must be an integrated plan in which the entire world’s countries should participate honestly if we really want to eliminate terrorism, either by military options or by changing religious discourse.”
Several countries witnessed terror attacks last week, including Turkey and Indonesia, which left scores of victims dead.
Meanwhile, the US-led coalition said in a statement that 24 air raids were carried out Thursday on IS locations in Iraq and Syria.
According to the statement, the raids targeted strategic locations of terror groups in Iraq and oil facilities in Syria.
