Brazil slams terrorist attacks in Syria

The Brazilian government Monday vehemently condemned the terrorist attacks in Syria that killed more than 100 people Sunday, according to an official statement.

"The Brazilian government condemns, in the strongest terms, the terrorist attacks which resulted in the deaths of over a hundred people in Syria, at the city of Homs and at the Sayyida Zeinab shrine, near Damascus, on Sunday, Feb. 21," the statement said.

"This is a cowardly crime claimed by the self-proclaimed Islamic State terrorist group," it said.

Brazil denounced the attacks on civilians, calling them "barbaric acts," and said the whole world should condemn them as well.

"No terrorist attack is justified. No manifestation of religious intolerance can have a place in today's world," the government said.

The Brazilian government sent its condolences to the families of the victims of the attacks and reaffirmed its support to ongoing attempts to establish peace in the region, highlighting that peace in Syria must be achieved "through dialogue and reconciliation" in a process led by Syrians in suitable sectors, which exclude terrorist groups.

The government also stressed that Syria and Brazil share a "deep historical connection" -- there is a large Syrian community in Brazil, and the country has received a large number of Syrian refugees in recent years. Endi