CM Pinarayi Vijayan condemns attack on Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Aphrem II

Kottayam: Condemning Sunday's suicide bomb attack on Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Aphrem II, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said it was a relief to know that the Patriarch had not suffered any injuries. In his FB post, Mr Vijayan said: "The attack against the Patriarch is indeed deplorable. It is known that the attack happened while he was leading a prayer. However, there is a relief to know that he suffered no injuries. I am sharing the grief and concern of all who love him.”

The Patriarch of Antioch, the supreme spiritual leader of the Syrian church, including Jacobites, in Kerala, was leading a prayer meeting commemorating the massacre of Christians over a century ago in northeast Syria when the suicide bomber attacked.

Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, in a statement, said the incident had shocked the conscience of the world, and the Patriarch was a flagbearer of peace. “I am glad that the Patriarch escaped the attempt on his life,” he said.