Honolulu: President Barack Obama on Saturday condemned "outrageous terrorist bombing attack" in Egypt and Nigeria and said the United States was prepared to assist in responding to them.
A bomb killed at least 21 people outside a church in the Egyptian city of Alexandria early on New Year's Day and the Interior Ministry said a foreign-backed suicide bomber may have been responsible.
"The perpetrators of this attack were clearly targeting Christian worshipers, and have no respect for human life and dignity. They must be brought to justice for this barbaric and heinous act," Obama, who is vacationing in Hawaii, said in a statement.
"We are continuing to gather information regarding this terrible event, and are prepared to offer any necessary assistance to the government of Egypt in responding to it."
EU condemns attack
In Brussels, the The European Union "unreservedly" condemned the deadly attack and demanded the right to gather and to worship be protected.
"There cannot be any justification for this attack," the EU's foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton said in a statement.
In Berlin, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle voiced shock at the bombing.
"I condemn in the harshest terms this act of brutality against people who only wanted to peacefully celebrate mass for New Year," said the minister in a statement distributed by his office.
"The cynical action of the attacker shows how vital it is to resolutely fight terrorism and religious intolerance
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak on Saturday to express solidarity after a bomb attack on a Coptic church in Alexandria killed 21 people, the premier's office said.
Netanyhau expressed his belief that "all freedom-loving nations have a common front against terrorism," his office said. It said the premier had also expressed his "deep shock" at the incident.
