YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS: Foreign Minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandyan has circulated a statement related to explosion of the Armenian St. Nahatakats/Martyrs Church in Deir ez-Zor. As the Press and Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia told Armenpress, the statement reads as follows:

“We strongly condemn explosion of the Armenian St. Nahatakatz/Martyrs Church in Deir ez-Zor, commemorating the Armenian genocide martyrs, by the terrorists. This terrific vandalism against the sanctuary one more time shows the brutal nature of the so-called “Islamic State” terrorist group. International community should immediately stop and eliminate that plague threatening the civil humanity, should break the ways of nourishing it, funding, supporting and sponsoring.”

The opening of the memorial and consecration of the St. Martyrs Armenian Church took place in 1991 by Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Karekin B, and in 24 April 2002 it was proclaimed as a national place of pilgrimage by Catholics Aram I.