ISIS claims responsibility for two explosions that killed at least 45 Egyptian Christians
Dozens of people were killed in bomb attacks on Coptic Christian churches in the Egyptian cities of Tanta and Alexandria on 9 April 2017 as worshipers gathered to celebrate Palm Sunday. Egypts state-run news agency Al-Ahram put the death toll at 45. A third site of worship, a mosque in Tanta, was also targeted, but authorities dismantled explosives before they detonated.
The terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attacks via its Aamaq news agency, after warning they would step up violence against Egypts sizable Coptic Christian minority population, according to the Associated Press. The first attack struck St. Georges Church in Tanta, a Nile Delta city, around 9:30 a.m. local time. Local news initially reported an explosive device was planted under a seat inside the church.
Eyewitness Nabil Nader described to AFP the deadly scene inside the church, saying, I saw pieces of body parts and broken seats. There was so much blood everywhere, some people had half of their bodies missing. The first three rows [inside the church] were destroyed
Source: /Snopes
