15 Killed, 42 Injured as Blast Rips Through Egypt Church

A powerful explosion inside a Coptic Christian church in the Egyptian Nile delta city of Tanta (REUTERS)

Cairo: At least 15 people were killed and 42 others injured Sunday in a powerful explosion inside a Coptic Christian church in the Egyptian Nile delta city of Tanta.

Sources said that the explosion took place inside the Mar Gerges Coptic Church.

The primary investigations suggest that a person put an explosive device inside the church during the Christian prayers celebrating the Palm Sunday, the sources said.

No official statement has been released.

State media put the death toll at 15.

Egypt’s Christian minority has often been targeted by Islamist militants. Egypt has seen a wave of attacks by militants since 2013 when the military overthrew President Mohammed Morsi, an elected leader who hailed from the Muslim Brotherhood, and launched a crackdown against Islamists.

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 million.