Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman reiterated on Monday that the heinous crime of targeting a mosque in Al-Qudaih village was contrary to Islamic and human values. “We were all distressed by this heinous crime,” the King said, chairing the weekly session of the Council of Ministers at Al-Salam Palace here. King Salman asserted that the Kingdom's efforts will never cease at any time to fight deviant thoughts and to confront and wipe out terrorists. He reiterated his directives that every participant, planner, supporter, collaborator or sympathizer with this crime will be held accountable, tried and punished. The Cabinet condemned the abominable crime which resulted in the killing of innocent people. It called the crime unjust terrorist aggression from spiteful criminals who shed the blood of Muslims and targeted worshipers. The Cabinet commended the achievements of the security authorities in their rapid response and the arrest of most of the members of the terrorist cell to which the mosque's suicide bomber belonged. He had received directives from Daesh (the so-called IS) terrorist organization abroad aiming to create a schism between the citizens of the homeland and spread hostility and sedition. The Cabinet expressed its thanks to scholars, sheikhs and citizens in all regions of the Kingdom, and to those who condemned these criminal acts from around the world. Minister of Culture and Information Adel Al-Turaifi said in a statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) following the session that the King briefed the Cabinet on the results of his meeting with President Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan, the telephone call from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the two messages received from King Abdullah of Jordan and President Maithripala Sirisena of Sri Lanka.
