Hitting out: Justin Welby said the students killed in Kenya by Islamic militants were 'martyrs' THE Archbishop of Canterbury will today hail the students killed by Islamist militants in Kenya last week as ‘martyrs’, as Church leaders and politicians use Easter to condemn persecution of Christians. Justin Welby will say in his Easter sermon that 148 Christian students slaughtered by Somali gunmen on Thursday were ‘witnesses’ to their faith and suffered ‘cruel deaths’. His comments follow Pope Francis’s denunciation of the ‘senseless’ killings at Garissa University College, in which Christians were singled out and shot. The Pope said in a Good Friday service in Rome that too many were guilty of a ‘complicit silence’ in the face of such attacks. In an overtly religious Easter message, David Cameron says it was ‘truly shocking’ that Christians were still tortured or killed because of their faith in much of the world. Their outspoken comments came as three people were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the attack in the north-east of Kenya, bringing the total number of suspects being held to five. The Kenyan Government said the three, who were trying to cross into Somalia, are associates of Mohamed Mohamud, a former teacher at a Kenyan Madrassa Islamic school, who is believed to have co-ordinated the attack. Meanwhile, a survivor of the killings was found yesterday two days after the massacre. Cynthia Charotich, 19, hid in cupboard and covered herself with clothes, refusing to emerge when classmates came out of hiding at the demand of the Al-Shabaab gunmen. Archbishop Welby will also refer in his sermon in Canterbury Cathedral to other Christians killed in massacres, including in Libya, saying: ‘There have been so many martyrs in the last year.’ 148 Christian studentsat Garissa University College, Kenya, were slaughtered by Somali gunmen on Thursday. Pictured: Distraught woman assisted by Red Cross staff .
Justin Welby comments follow Pope Francis's denunciation of the killings.
David Cameron used his Easter message to brand killings 'truly shocking'
148 Christian students at Garissa University College were slaughtered.
Three people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the attack.