CAIRO, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Egypt strongly condemned on Friday the deadly attacks on two mosques in New Zealand that left at least 49 people dead, Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
"The heinous terrorist act contradicts with all humanity principles," the statement said.
The attack confirms the need for intensifying international efforts to fight terrorism and combating all forms of violence and extremism, the statement added.
Egypt expressed sincere condolences to the victims' families, wishing a speedy recovery for the wounded, it said.
Egyptian Immigration Minister Nabila Makram has contacted the Embassy of Egypt in New Zealand to ensure safety of the Egyptian nationals in the country.
New Zealand's Foreign Ministry has not yet confirmed whether Egyptian citizens were among the people killed in the attacks, official News Agency MENA reported.
Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit described the crime as shocking and horrible as it targeted innocent prayers in religious houses.
"Terrorism has no religion. The accident alarms the growing and severe trends of extremism," Aboul-Gheit said.
He called for stricter measures to be adopted by the international community.
Meanwhile, all Islamic state authorities have issued statement slamming the terrorist attacks.
Al-Azhar, the highest Islamic learning institution in Egypt, denounced the attacks as "a horrible terrorist accident," and called for exerting more efforts to support the values of tolerance and positive integration among different segments of any society regardless of their religions or cultures.
"Such terrorist attacks are prohibited by all heavenly religions' principles and values," said Egypt's Mufti Shawqi Allam, stressing the necessity of launching a plenary investigation.
At least 49 people were killed and 48 others wounded in the attacks on two mosques in New Zealand's Christchurch earlier on Friday.
