Yerevan/Mediamax/. The fighters of "Islamic State” (ISIS) terrorist group mined and blew up the Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs (Syria).

“We strongly condemn the explosion of the Armenian Church built in Deir ez-Zor in memory of the Armenian Genocide martyrs. This blatant vandalism toward the sacred place shows once again the ferocious essence of “Islamic State” terrorist group. The international community should immediately stop and eradicate this plague posing a threat to the civilized world as well as cut the stream of their funding and support”, the statement of Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian reads.

Chief of the Armenian Presidential Staff Vigen Sargsyan also commented on the explosion of the Armenian Church in Deir ez-Zor.

“On September 21, on the Independence Day of Armenia, ISIS fighters mined and blew up the Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs in Deir ez-Zor. Deir ez-Zor is the desert that became a death camp for one and a half million of Armenians during the Genocide of 1915, planned and implemented through the policies of the authorities of the Ottoman Empire.

This is yet another clear proof that Genocide continues until it is fully recognized and punished. If Turkey is not linked to this terrorist attack on this Church, carrying special significance to each Armenian, it shall immediately come up with a strong statement condemning ISIS activities”, Vigen Sargsyan stated.

Within his official visit to Syria in 2010, President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan visited the Armenian Church of the Holy Martyrs in Deir ez-Zor.

“Der Al Zor desert became the last haven for hundreds of thousands of Armenians and the largest Armenian cemetery in the world. The remains the Church of the Holy Martyrs houses remind the world that the maleficent mechanism ready to deport people which is “guilty” of its belonging to a particular nation is yet not eradicated”, the Armenian President stated then.