Egyptian Churches Attacked by ISIS on Palm Sunday

Two churches in Egypt have been hit by a terrorist attack on one of the most important dates in the christian calendar, claiming dozens of lives and wounding several.

The first blast was in the northern city of Tanta, where a powerful explosion ripped through a Palm Sunday service at St. George’s Church, killing 27 people and wounding 78 others, state TV reported.

The explosive device was planted under a seat in the main prayer hall, it said.

Not long after that, at least 16 people were killed and 41 others wounded in a suicide bomb attack outside St. Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Alexandria, according to two state-news outlets.

Egyptian state media also reported that the head of Egypt’s Coptic Church, Pope Tawadros II, was inside the Church when the blast happened. He was not injured.

In a statement, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi condemned the attacks, saying the “outrageous” action “targets both the Copts and Muslims of the homeland.”

He ordered investigators to “hunt down the perpetrators” and “take all measures to offer the necessary care for the wounded.”

He has called an urgent meeting of his country’s National Defense Council and declared three days of nationwide mourning.

“The attack will not undermine the resolve and true will of the Egyptian people to counter the forces of evil, but will only harden their determination to move forward on their trajectory to realize security, stability and comprehensive development,” the statement said..

Meanwhile, ISIS has claimed responsibility for the bombings that killed 43 at the two churches in Egypt on Palm Sunday.

The terror group’s Amaq media wing said “a security detachment” of the Islamic State carried out the attacks on churches in the cities of Tanta and Alexandria. The bombings also left scores wounded.

ISIS often uses Amaq news agency to claim attacks after they have happened.