Cyprus condemns synagogue attack

The foreign ministry on Wednesday condemned an attack in a Jerusalem synagogue that left five people dead and seven more injured.

In a statement, the ministry said it “strongly condemns yesterday’s (Tuesday’s )attack, during prayer, in a place of worship in the Har Nof neighborhood of Jerusalem” and deplored “the loss of life of five innocent victims and injury to seven others.”

“We express our condolences to the grieving families along with our wishes for a speedy recovery for those injured in this attack,” the statement said, adding that “it is imperative that all places of worship be safeguarded and left outside any possible conflicts.”

Two Palestinian men attacked the West Jerusalem synagogue with a gun and meat cleavers before being shot dead.

Jerusalem has seen weeks of unrest, partly fuelled by tension over a disputed holy site.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.