Iran cleric slams ISIL killing of Egypt Christians

A senior Iranian cleric has strongly condemned the beheading of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians by the ISIL Takfiri militants in Libya, warning the West over the consequences of providing support for the terror group.

In a Monday message issued in reaction to the brutal murder, Grand Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi expressed hope that the perpetrators of the killings would be soon arrested and “receive severe punishment.”

The Iranian cleric called on the followers of all other divine religions to cooperate with each other to root out the “vicious group”.

Makarem Shirazi further urged the Western countries to stop their support for the ISIL “barbaric and oppressive group because its adverse repercussions would affect all.”

The ISIL Takfiri terrorists on Sunday released a five-minute gruesome video showing the killing of the Egyptian Coptic Christians.

In the footage, the handcuffed hostages could be seen dressed in orange jumpsuits, similar to previous ISIL victims, kneeling down along the seaside near the Libyan capital Tripoli.

The victims, whose photos were published in the latest online edition of the ISIL magazine Dabiq, were reportedly abducted in the Libyan coastal city of Sirte in two attacks in December last year and January.

Earlier on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham slammed the murder and noted that such crimes by the ISIL terrorists are in line with the Israeli regime’s interests.

The Iranian spokesperson also stressed the importance of maintaining vigilance at all levels in confronting plots and suspicious measures as well as the dangerous ramifications of the spread of extremism and terrorism in the region.