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António Guterres strongly condemned the deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, calling it heinous.
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At least 11 people were killed when two gunmen opened fire at Bondi Beach, according to media reports.
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The UN chief expressed solidarity with the Jewish community worldwide on the first day of Hanukkah.
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Australian authorities have described the incident as a terrorist attack; one attacker was killed and another detained.
Anjali sharma
United nations, 15thDec: UN head António Guterres on Sunday has strongly condemned the “heinous deadly attack” on Sunday against Jewish families gathered to celebrate Hanukkah in Sydney, Australia, according to a statement issued by UN spokesman’s office in New York.
Mr. Guterres in a social media post, said he was “horrified” by the incident.
He wrote “My heart is with the Jewish community worldwide on this first day of Hannukah, a festival celebrating the miracle of peace and light vanquishing darkness.”
According to media reports at least 11 people were killed when two gunmen opened fire on the Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach in Sydney, which authorities have called a terrorist attack.
Media reported that two of the victims were police officers, one of the gunmen was killed and the other was taken into custody.
Mr. Guterres was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday, where he addressed the opening of the 11th World Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.
The initiative was established 20 years ago to promote respect and understanding between cultures and religions, the statement read.
Hannukah, also spelled Chanukah, is the Jewish festival of lights.
It celebrates the Jewish people regaining the freedom to practice their religion more than 2,000 years ago in a battle against Seleucid (Syrian Greek) rule.
The 8-day celebration is marked by lighting candles each night on a menorah which is placed in windows or interior doorways.
