Death toll in Egypt mosque attack rises to 309

By Ali Semerci

CAIRO (AA) --The death toll in an attack on a mosque in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula has risen to 309, Egyptian authorities said late Monday.

According to the North Sinai Health Directorate, the victims include children.

On Friday, attackers bombed a mosque in the town of Bir al-Abed in North Sinai before opening fire on fleeing worshippers.

Some 27 children were among the victims while 128 people were injured in the attack, the Egyptian Prosecution said in a statement on Saturday.

The authorities had initially put the death toll at 305, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in Egypt’s modern history.

Although no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, it has been widely blamed on Daesh’s affiliate in Sinai.

Following the attack, Turkey announced that Monday would be a day of national mourning. Flags flew at half-mast over buildings across Turkey on Monday to mourn victims of the attack.