Gulf ministers vow united stand against IS mosque bombings

Interior ministers of the Gulf countries on Friday vowed to take a united stand against a string of deadly bombings targeting mosques claimed by the IS militant group.

Holding an emergency meeting in Kuwait, the ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states stressed the attacks are a threat to the stability of the region. 

Around 50 people have been killed and hundreds wounded in suicide attacks on three mosques in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait during the past two months, all claimed by IS.

The ministers "underscored the importance of coordination and cooperation in all measures and steps in confronting this serious epidemic... which is a threat to the security and stability of the GCC states," said a statement issued after the night meeting.

The statement called the attacks "criminal acts not linked with religion and its values, which renounce violence and the killing of innocents," but did not spell out any new measures to stop them.

"Terrorist attacks that targeted places of worship aim at sowing dissent, promoting divisions, undermining security and terrorising and killing innocent people," the statement said.

Saudi Crown Prince and Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani were among GCC ministers present at the meeting.

The officials also expressed sympathy with Kuwait, which suffered the worst attack in its history last week with a suicide bombing that left 26 people dead and 227 others wounded.

The IS group's Saudi affiliate, the so-called Najd Province, claimed the two bombings in Saudi Arabia and the attack in Kuwait. The group has threatened to carry out more attacks in the two countries and also threatened Bahrain.

Source: Timesofoman