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Saud i Arabia's Gulf partners yesterday joined a chorus of condemnation over the attacks and killings in Saudi Arabia and expressed their solidarity with the kingdom as it wages its own war on terror.

"The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) denounces these acts and gives its support to Saudi Arabia for all measures it takes to face terrorism," the group said in statement from its Riyadh headquarters.e claimed by Al-Qaeda, in the Saudi oil city of Al-Khobar over the weekend.

"GCC countries are in solidarity with Saudi Arabia in its struggle against terrorism in all its forms and whatever its origin and foundations," the statement said.

"The security of the GCC countries is indivisible, and terrorism has become an international scourld security and stability, necessitating the redoubling of international efforts in the struggle" against this phenomenon, it added.

The GCC groups Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman and Qatar.innocent victims."

"The cabinet renews Kuwait's full solidarity and support for the brothers in Saudi Arabia in all measures it takes to firmly confront terrorism and the safety of its people and residents," said a statement issued after the weekly session.

In the UAE, Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed al-Nahyan also said his country stood firmly with Riyadh.

The Emirates "supports Saudi Arabia with force in its war against the gangs of criminals, which provoke the spilling of innocent blood ... and which disrupt security and stability," said Sheikh Hamdan, cited by the official Wam news agency.

Qatar's foreign ministry also "condemned the criminal attacks in Saudi Arabia and the hostage-taking which are terrorist acts in contradiction of Islam," the state news agency QNA reported.

Bahrain said it too "condemned the ignoble terrorist acts" in Al-Khobar, adding that Manama "supports Saudi Arabia ... which plays a central role in maintaining security and stability in the region."

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher phoned his Saudi counterpart Saud al-Faisal to "express condemnation by Egypt of this terrorist act which cost the life of several innocent civilians, including an Egyptian infant," his ministry said.

Maher "stressed the need to build a common front to put an end to terrorist acts which aim to undermine stability and security and to terrorise the innocent."

Syria slammed the attacks in Al-Khobar as being "criminal and contrary to human and religious values," according to the government newspapers Tishrin and Al-Baath.

Quoting Information Minister Ahmed al-Hassan, the newspapers said "Syria stands at the side of Saudi Arabia in the struggle against these terrorist acts which aim to undermine the kingdom's security and stability."

At a meeting in Cairo Sunday, the Egyptian and Emirati ministers of religious affairs said "these insane attacks bring prejudice against Islam."

The Egyptian agency MENA quoted the ministers, respectively Hamdi Zaqzuq and Mohammed al-Zahiri, as saying the killings had "no relationship with Islam and serve the aims of those who want to disfigure the image of this religion."

Earlier in Cairo, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, the country's main opposition group, denounced the Al-Khobar attack and said it flouted the teachings of Islam.

"The Muslim Brotherhood believes that what has happened at Al-Khobar is an abominable crime and we condemn it strongly," the group's spiritual leader, Mohammed Mehdi Akef, said.

"We believe that this act contravenes the precepts of Islam which demand the preservation of life and property."

The Islamist movement Hamas also expressed "its denunciation and its regret following the vile aggression against a residential complex in Al-Khobar".

"We renew our rejection and our condemnation of these actions which harm our Arab and Muslim countries and we call on those who command them to stop these types of actions," said a statement obtained by AFP in Beirut. - Sapa-AFP

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