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Rabat – The Moroccan ambassador to Australia and New Zealand, Karim Medrek, confirmed that none of the victims of two terror attacks against two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, were Moroccan.
The attacks killed 49 people and injured at least 50 people, including children.
The ambassador added that the Moroccan embassy is in constant contact with authorities in New Zealand to follow the situation of Moroccans living in Christchurch.
International news outlets reported that the attacker is a 28-year-old Australian national named Brenton Tarrant.
Before commiting the attack, the attacker also shared a manifesto to explain his goal.
Describing himself as an “ordinary white man,” the attacker said he was inspired by Norway mass killer Anders Behring Breiving.
The attacker documented the shooting through a live video on Facebook.
One of the survivors of the shooting was a Moroccan Ph.D. student named Mussa Bouray who spoke about the attack with Maghreb Arab Press (MAP).
Bouray said that he was parking his car when he arrived at the Al Nour mosque.
“I saw a large number of worshipers rushing out of the mosque in all directions.”
1/9 Police continue to deal with what is an unprecedented event for New Zealand. The loss of life and the number of those who have been injured is tragic.
As the Prime Minister has stated, this has been designated a terrorist attack.— New Zealand Police (@nzpolice) March 15, 2019
Bouray said that he was with his wife, who had gotten out of the car to enter the mosque. His wife managed to hide in a building when she heard the sound of gunfire.
The student said that it was a “real nightmare.”
“The security services quickly spread into the mosque to block the suspect, who is said to be an Australian extremist,” said Bouray.
Police in New Zealand said, “The loss of life and the number of those who have been injured is tragic. As the Prime Minister has stated, this has been designated a terrorist attack.”
