Countries Supporting Terrorism behind Ignoble Attack that Killed Scores of Evacuees in Syria

CAPITALS,(ST)-Pope Francis and many officials from Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and the United Nations plus Scholars of the Levant and Palestinian factions have condemned the terror blast that targeted yesterday a bus convoy carrying civilians evacuated from Foua and Kafraya towns.

According to Reuters, Pope Francis described the blast that killed at least 112 people outside Aleppo as ‘ignoble’ attack.

“May (God) in a particular way sustain the efforts of those who are actively working to bring healing and comfort to the civilian population of Syria, the beloved and martyred Syria, who are victims of a war that does not cease to sow horror and death,” he said in his Easter Sunday message to tens of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square.

“Yesterday’s was the latest ignoble attack on fleeing refugees,” he added.

 Special Assistant of the Iranian Shoura Council Hossein Amir Abdollahian said the U.S. military move not only gave high spirit to terrorists, put persuaded them to commit more terrorist crimes against women and kids of Foua and Kafraya.

He appreciated efforts of the Syrian government to rescue the people of Fua’a and Kafraya from terrorists’ hands. “Resistance of the Syrian people and the patience of Fua’a and Kafraya citizens are admirable,” Abdollahian added, according to IRNA.

In Paris, The French Foreign Ministry condemned the terror blast which targeted evacuees from Kafraya and Foua towns.

Paris: Attacks against civilians unacceptable

“Paris strongly condemns the blast… Attacks against civilians are unacceptable whoever the perpetrators are,” said spokesman of the French Foreign Ministry as quoted by AFP. The spokesman  stressed that parties responsible for such vicious crimes should be brought to justice, noting the importance of protecting evacuees and respecting international humanitarian law.

Iraqi FM: blast reflects enormity of terrorist organizations

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry asserted its support for the Syrian people, calling for the international community to adopt serious steps to solve the crisis in Syria peacefully after the ugly crime that killed dozens of children, women and old people west of Aleppo.

“Targeting civilians directly reflects enormity of armed terrorist organizations’ policy in Syria and their staying away from humanitarian values,”  the ministry said.

UN asserts need to bring perpetrators to justice

The UN Secretary General António Guterres has underscored the need to bring those who are responsible for the violent act to justice.

Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric  said: “We call on the parties to ensure the safety and security of those waiting to be evacuated.” He expressed condolences to the families of the victims of the incident and wished speedy recovery to those injured, according to United Nations News Center.

Iraqi Popular Committee calls for enhancing resistance alliance

The Iraqi Popular Committee for Supporting Syria and Resistance affirmed that the continued support being offered by the U.S., Turkey, Zionist entity and some regional countries to terrorist organizations is behind the continuity of terror crimes in Syria.

“The best way to confront this crime is through enhancing steadfastness and resistance alliance at all levels in order to fight terrorist organizations and their supporters,” the committee said, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

BASP in Lebanon blames Saudi Arabia

The agency added that the regional leadership of the Baath Arab Socialist Party in Lebanon blamed countries supporting terrorism, mainly Saudi Arabia, for these systematic attacks that show Saudi Arabia’s frustration due to Syrian Arab army’s victories against terrorist organizations.

It quoted member of Hezbollah’s Central Council Sheikh Nabil Qawooq as saying that promoters of sedition and fatwa of killing and exporters of Wahhabi terrorism are behind the atrocity that killed women and children from Foua and Kafraya.

Further condemnations were issued by Scholars of the Levant, Arab Writers Union, Syrian Arab Red Crescent, Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine-General Command and factions of Palestinian Liberation Organization in Lebanon.

Yesterday, terrorists exploded a car bomb in al-Rashdin area, west of Aleppo,  targeting a bus convoy carrying 5000 evacuees from Foua and Kafraya towns.

The blast killed scores of civilians, mostly women and children, and caused huge damage to buses and ambulances.

Basma Qaddour