#BreakingNews over 21 Killed and 69 Wounded at Terrorist Attack at Church on Palm Sunday - Please PRAY
At least 21 dead and 69 wounded in an attack against Mar Girgis Coptic church in Tanta (Nile Delta)
At least 21 people were killed and 69 wounded, Egypt's Health Ministry announced. The dealt toll is expected to rise.
The explosive device was planted under a chair in the main nave, very close to the altar, before the church filled up with worshipers for the liturgy.
At least 16 ambulances shuttled back and forth to local hospitals. Egyptian President Abdelfattah al-Sisi ordered military hospitals to treat the wounded.
Mar Girgis Coptic Church in Tanta (Gharbiya governorate), 93 kilometres north of Cairo, is one of the country’s oldest. Built in 316 AD, it was restored several times.
Overall, Gharbiya has 27 churches, four of which are classified as heritage buildings by Egypt’s Archeology Ministry.
The blast occurred as Coptic Orthodox Patriarch Tawadros II celebrated Palm Sunday Mass in the coastal city of Alexandria.
Today’s is the second terrorist attack against a Coptic church in recent months. On 11 December 2016, a suicide bomber blew himself up at Cairo’s St Peter’s and St Paul's Church, located near St Mark's Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, killing 28 people, and wounding more than 40 others.
For many years, Coptic Christians – about 10 per cent of the population – have been targeted by Jihadis, especially in the Sinai, where Christians have been killed and forced to flee.
Frustrated by the ouster of their leader Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood groups too has tended to use Copts as scapegoats.
Last month, Pope Francis announced that he would be in Egypt on 28-29 April to continue the inter-religious dialogue with Al Azhar, Sunni Islam's highest authority.
UPDATE (Asia News): Less than two hours after an explosion tore through the Mar Girgis Coptic Church in Tanta, a second blast struck St Mark Cathedral in Alexandria, on the Mediterranean coast, during the Palm Sunday service led by Coptic Patriarch Tawadros II. The church is the traditional seat of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate.So far 11 are dead and 66 wounded. Initial reports indicate a suicide bomber was responsible. Egypt’s National Defence Council is set to meet. Some call for an overhaul of security measures around churches.
See the video below when the bomb exploded...Please Pray and Share
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