21 killed in church bombing in northern Egypt
No group has claimed responsibility for bombing
FILE PHOTO
By Fiola Fahmi and Amr Thabet
CAIRO
At least 21 people were killed when a bombing struck a church in northern Egypt on Sunday, according to the country’s health ministry.
The explosion was reported inside St. George church in the Nile Delta city of Tanta early Sunday.
“Twenty-one were killed and 59 others injured in the blast,” ministry spokesman Khaled Mujahed said in a statement.
It remains unclear whether the blast was caused by a bomb or a suicide bombing.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing.
Sunday’s bombing occurred on Palm Day, a Christian feast commemorating the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.
In December, a bomb blast struck a church in central Cairo, killing more than 25 people and injured scores.
Coptic Christians are estimated to account for between 8 and 10 percent of Egypt's population of about 90 million.
