Seychelles President James Michel condemns terror attacks in Tunisia, Kuwait
Diplomacy |Author: Hajira Amla | June 28, 2015, Sunday @ 09:28| 4278 views
Seychelles President James Michel (Seychelles News Agency)
The president of the Seychelles archipelago, James Michel, has sent his condolences to the people and governments of Tunisia and Kuwait following the deadly terror attacks which claimed the lives of at least 64 people this week.
The attack which took place in the Tunisian tourist town of Sousse on Friday claimed the lives of at least 38 people, the majority of which were British tourists.
A lone gunman, named as Seifeddine Rezgui, posing as a tourist on a beach suddenly opened fire with a Kalashnikov hidden inside a beach parasol. He pursued terrified tourists as they fled from the beach into the nearby streets and was shot dead around 20 minutes later by Tunisian security forces.
Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Islamic State militant group, which controls large swathes of Iraq and Syria.
Thus far, the British death toll stands at 15, including three members of the same family, but could rise as the number of seriously injured remains high.
It is reported by AFP that around 20,000 British tourists were on holiday in Tunisia at the time of the attack, and several British tour operators have arranged special flights to repatriate British tourists desperate to return home after a relaxing holiday turned into a nightmare.
In his message, issued in a press statement on Saturday, President Michel condemned the terrorist act as “despicable and appalling”, and sent his condolences to the families of the victims and the injured.
The attack in Tunisia came on the same day that a suicide bomber detonated explosives outside a Shiite mosque in the Kuwaiti capital, killing 26 victims and wounding 227 others during Friday prayers.
Thousands of Kuwaitis, including Sunnis and Shiites, came together in a show of solidarity on Saturday to bury 18 of the victims, braving 45-degree Celcius temperatures while fasting to pay their respects to the dead.
In a message released in a separate press statement on Saturday, President Michel condemned the act and expressed condolences to the Kuwaiti ruler Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad AI Jaber Al Sabah on behalf of the government the 115-island archipelago’s 90,000 population.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims, especially during this holy month of Ramadan and we hope for the speedy recovery of those injured," said President Michel.