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VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis expressed deep sadness for the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya, departing from the script of an address on Monday to emphasize the unity of all Christians regardless of the sect they follow.
Addressing members of the Church of Scotland, the Argentine pope mentioned the killings which took place on a beach in Libya and were filmed and broadcast on Sunday by a website that supports Islamic State.
“They were killed simply for the fact that they were Christians,” Francis said in his native Spanish, departing from the Italian he uses at most formal events.
The leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics, who has said it is “lawful” to stop an unjust aggressor, went on: “The blood of our Christian brothers and sisters is a testimony which cries out be heard. It makes no difference whether they be Catholics, Orthodox, Copts or Protestants. They are Christians!”
The UAE expressed backing Monday for a strong Egyptian response to the video.
Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan said the killings underlined the need for greater support for Libya’s beleaguered internationally recognized government, which was ousted from the capital Tripoli last August.
Renewed airstrikes by the UAE against the Islamic State group have hit oil refineries run by the terrorists , the state news agency reported on Monday.
F-16 fighter jets based in Jordan “targeted oil refineries controlled by the Daesh (Islamic State) organization, with the aim of drying up its sources of finance,” the WAM agency said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.
The UAE “supports, with all its capabilities, Egypt’s efforts in eradicating terrorism and violence directed at its nationals and affirms its position in standing alongside and its complete solidarity with it,” Sheikh Abdullah told the official WAM news agency.
“The criminals must strongly and decisively receive the punishment they deserve without any hesitancy,” he added.
Bahrain’s King Hamad denounced the “heinous crime of the terrorist” IS group which “contradicts all religions and human values.” He pledged his support for Egypt “in all measures it takes against this terrorist group” and said Bahrain was committed to “participating with the international community in uprooting terrorism.”
On Sunday, Bahrain deployed warplanes to Jordan in support of the air campaign against IS, one week after the Emirati aircraft returned to the fray.