45 dead, 119 injured in ISIS blasts at Egypt's Coptic churches

Relatives and onlookers swarm around a car outside a church after a bomb attack PicsAPCairo At least 45 people were killed and nearly 120 others injured in powerful blasts triggered by ISIS in two churches packed with worshippers celebrating Palm Sunday in Egypts Tanta and Alexandria cities the deadliest attacks on the minority Coptic Christians in recent yearsThe first blast took place in the Coptic church of Mar Girgis also known as St George in the Nile delta city of Tanta about 120 kilometres from Cairo killing 27 people and injuring 78 the Health Ministry said in a statement Security sources said the primary investigations suggest that a person put an explosive device inside the church during the Christian prayers celebrating the Palm Sunday However others said the attack was carried out by a suicide bomberThe explosion targeted the front rows in the church hall Among those killed is Samuel George the head of Tanta Court Hours later a suicide bomber struck the Saint Marks Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Alexandrias Manshyia district police said Citing Health Minister Ahmed Emad ON TV news channel said at least 18 people including police personnel were killed while 41 others injured in Alexandrias suicide attack The latest figure puts the combined death toll from the Tanta and Alexandria attacks at 45The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the twin attacks on churches on Palm Sunday one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar Islamic State squads carried out the attacks on two churches in Tanta and Alexandria said the groups propaganda news agency Amaq on its social media accounts President Abdel Fattah alSisi in a televised statement announced a state of emergency for three months after a meeting of the national defence council Sisi said that a higher council for fighting terrorism and extremism will also be establishedFollowing the blasts Sisi also ordered military deployments to protect vital and important infrastructure President Sisihas decided to order the military to deploy protection units to guard vital and important infrastructure in all the republics provinces a statement from the presidency said In a statement the Interior ministry said a suicide bomber had planned to blow up himself using an explosive belt inside the church in Alexandria but the security forces stopped himA police officer and a policewoman as well a lowranking police officer were killed while preventing the suicide bomber from entering the cathedral the ministry said It said Pope Tawadros II was inside the cathedral leading Palm Sunday Mass but he was not harmed in the attackHowever Egypts Coptic church said Pope Tawadros II Pope of Alexandria had left the church just before the blast Saint Marks Cathedral is the historical seat of the Pope of Alexandria the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church Meanwhile security forces dismantled two explosive devices at Sidi Abdel Rahim Mosque in Tanta city The mosque which includes a Sufi shrine is considered the second most important mosque in city AlAhram Arabic reportedSisi condemned the attack and said such terrorist acts will not terrify Egyptians He also phoned Pope Tawadros II to offer his condolences He ordered the opening of military hospitals to receive the injured Egypt also announced three days of mourning AlAzhar the worlds highest seat of Sunni Islam strongly condemned the attacks calling it an outrageous crime against all Egyptians This terrorist attack is devoid of all the principles of humanity and civilisation it said in a statementAlAzhar Grand Imam Ahmed ElTayyeb stressed AlAzhars solidarity with the Egyptian Church in the wake of attacks The US Embassy in Egypt condemned the heinous reprehensible terrorist attack against peaceful worshippers The US stands firmly with the Egyptian government and people to defeat terrorism the Embassy said in a statementThe explosion comes weeks before the visit of Pope Francis to Egypt on April 2829 Palm Sunday falls on Sunday before the Easter The feast commemorates Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem an event mentioned in each of the four canonical Gospels Coptic Christians make up about 10 per cent of Egypts population of 85 millionEgypts Christian minority has often been targeted by Islamist militants In December a suicide bombing claimed by an ISIS affiliate killed 29 people during Sunday mass in Cairo Egypt has seen a wave of attacks by militants since 2013 when the military toppled president Mohammed Morsi an elected leader who hailed from the Muslim Brotherhood and launched a crackdown against Islamists