Abu Dhabi, Dec 22 (IANS): The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Iraq, and Egypt strongly condemned the car-ramming attack at a Christmas market in the central German city of Magdeburg, which resulted in hundreds of casualties.
In a statement by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the UAE "expresses its strong condemnation of these criminal acts and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence against innocent people and aimed at undermining security and stability."
The ministry extended condolences and sympathies to the government and people of Germany, as well as to the families of the victims, adding it wishes for a swift recovery for those injured in the attack, Xinhua news agency reported.
A statement by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry expressed its "full solidarity with the friendly government and people of Germany in the face of this tragic incident," stressing "Iraq's firm rejection of violence and extremism in all forms."
The ministry offered sincere condolences to the victims' families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that "Egypt confirms solidarity with Germany and its condemnation of all forms of violence and terrorism."
It offered its sincerest condolences to the government and people of Germany and wished a speedy recovery to the wounded.
In a separate statement, Egypt's Al-Azhar top Islamic institution denounced the accident as "a heinous crime and a deviation from all religious teachings and human and moral values," calling for concerted international efforts to eliminate extremism.
A car plowed through a Christmas market in Magdeburg, capital of the German state Saxony-Anhalt, on Friday evening, leading to at least five deaths and over 200 injuries, with many of them being "serious and severe," German news agency dpa reported, citing the state premier.
German authorities identified a potential suspect as a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia who has been living in Germany since 2006 and worked in a nearby town. Police searched his home overnight.