Security forces gather near the Hotel that was attacked by suspected militants in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016 (AP)
Egypt strongly condemned Friday's "terrorist attack" on a hotel in Burkina Faso's Ouagadougou that killed at least 26 people, in a statement issued Saturday by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ministry spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid expressed the Egyptian government and people's condolences to the victims of multiple nationalities.
The victims were reportedly from 18 different countries.
Abo Zeid also stressed that Egypt stands by Burkina Faso's government and people in its fight against terrorism.
The unprecedented attack in Burkina Faso took place on Friday night, when militants attacked a hotel and a restaurant that are frequently visited by Europeans and United Nations personnel.
The French foreign ministry said that around 150 people were injured.
French troops were backed Burkina Faso (a former French colony) troops, as they positioned themselves in the city as part of a regional counterterrorism initiative.
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claimed the attack and said it was "in revenge against France and the disbelieving West." The group’s statement was published by the terrorism monitoring group SITE.
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