Egypt’s Coptic Churches hit by Deadly Blasts on Palm Sunday
Two blasts targeting Coptic Christians in Egypt on Palm Sunday have killed at least 42 people, officials say.
In Alexandria, an explosion outside St Mark’s Coptic church killed 13 people. Pope Tawadros II, head of the Coptic Church, had been attending Mass inside and was unhurt, state media reported.
An earlier blast at St George’s Coptic church in Tanta killed 29 people.
So-called Islamic State (IS) says it is behind the explosions. The group has recently targeted Copts in Egypt.
Four police officers, including one policewoman, were among those killed in Alexandria, the interior ministry said. The suicide bomber blew himself up after they stopped him from entering the church.
The explosions come weeks before an expected visit by Pope Francis intended to show support for the country’s Christian minority. He condemned the explosions.
“I pray for the dead and the injured, and I am close in spirit to the family members [of the victims] and to the entire community,” the Pope said.
BBC Africa
