Franklin Graham, Greg Laurie condemn suicide bombing at Ariana Grande concert

Franklin Graham and Greg Laurie have taken to social media to condemn the attack in Manchester during an Ariana Grande concert on Monday.

As many as 22 people, including children, were killed in an attack on a crowded concert hall in Manchester just after Grande's concert that was attended by many teenage girls.

After hearing the news of the incident, Laurie, senior pastor at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, posted a video on Facebook, calling on his followers to pray for the protection of people in England and the U.S.

"I just heard the horrible news about what appears to be a terrorist attack in Manchester, England," the evangelist said, according to The Christian Post.

"This is horrible and this is happening while our president is meeting with leaders to try to fight terrorism. Listen folks, we need to realize that there is a spiritual dynamic in play here. When our president says this is good versus evil, there is a lot of truth to that," Laurie added, referring to the speech that President Donald Trump delivered to over 50 Muslim leaders at the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

In the speech, Trump contended that the fight against radical extremism "is a battle between good and evil" rather than a battle between different religions or civilizations.

Laurie went on to urge his viewers to "turn to God and call out to him in the day of trouble." He also said that "The Lord is listening."

Graham, the president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan's Purse humanitarian organization, also condemned the attack after news broke that the Islamic State terror group claimed responsibility for the incident.

"The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the horrific carnage of Monday night's bombing in Manchester, England, targeting children, teens, and their parents who were attending a concert," the evangelist wrote on Facebook. "They're proud of this despicable and cowardly act," he added.

Graham called on his followers to pray for the victims and their families. The evangelist also asked them to pray that God would give wisdom to political leaders in fighting against Islamic terrorism.

Meanwhile, the security threat level in Britain has been raised from "critical" to "severe" following the attack. British Prime Minister Theresa May said that members of the armed forces would be placed at key sites, and military personnel might be deployed at public events like concerts and sports events.

The Bishop of Manchester has urged churches to open their doors to those who want to pray in light of the incident. Rt. Rev. David Walker noted that the attack was not the first time Manchester has been targeted by terror. He said that the city's residents have been resilient in the past and said that the past events had only brought the people together rather than drive them apart.