Rahi Condemns Turkey Attack

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi condemned on Monday the terror attack that targeted Turkey on New Year's eve, leaving many killed and wounded including Lebanese victims, the National News Agency reported.

Al-Rahi prayed for a speedy recovery for those who were wounded and injured, and patience for the families of the victims, NNA added.

The Patriarch continued and hailed the role of the Lebanese state, mainly President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil for dispatching a private jet with a medical team and an official delegation to Turkey to follow up on the matter.

Three Lebanese citizens were killed and six others were injured in the New Year's Eve massacre at an Istanbul nightclub.

Thirty-nine people, including many foreigners, were killed when a gunman went on a rampage at the Reina club, one of Istanbul's most exclusive nightspots, where revelers were celebrating the New Year.

In a statement circulated on social media, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack and said one of the "soldiers of the caliphate" had carried out the attack on the Reina nightclub.