Egypt's Churches hit by deadly blasts on Palm Sunday

Two blasts targeting Coptic Christians in Egypt on Palm Sunday have killed at least 42 people, officials say.
In Alexandria, an explosion outside St Mark's Coptic church killed 13 people. Pope Tawadros II, head of the Coptic Church, had been attending Mass inside and was unhurt, state media reported.
An earlier blast at St George's Coptic church in Tanta killed 29 people.
So-called Islamic State (IS) says it is behind the explosions. The group has recently targeted Copts in Egypt.
Four police officers, including one policewoman, were among those killed in Alexandria, the interior ministry said. The suicide bomber blew himself up after they stopped him from entering the church.
The first explosion in Tanta, 94km (58 miles) north of Cairo, took place near the altar.
Security forces later dismantled two explosive devices at the Sidi Abdel Rahim Mosque, also in Tanta, the state-run Al-Ahram news website reports.
The explosions injured at least 71 people in Tanta and 35 others in Alexandria, the health ministry said.
The blasts appear to have been timed for maximum impact, as people gathered to mark Palm Sunday. It is one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar, marking the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.
The explosions come weeks before an expected visit by Pope Francis intended to show support for the country's Christian minority. He condemned the explosions.
"I pray for the dead and the injured, and I am close in spirit to the family members [of the victims] and to the entire community," the Pope said.
The Copts are one of the most ancient Christian communities and the largest still left in the Middle East. But they have long felt vulnerable and marginalised. This sense of precariousness has only increased in recent years, with the rise of violent jihadism in parts of Egypt.
The country's political and Muslim religious leaders have tried to provide reassurance that they stand united with the Copts - and have portrayed the recent upsurge in attacks as an attempt by extremists to sow division.
But in recent months, Coptic families have been fleeing the northern Sinai after a series of murders and assaults.
Their trust in the state's ability and willingness to protect them will now be even more deeply shaken - as bombs desecrate Palm Sunday, fulfilling a rash of recent threats by the Islamic State group to intensify their violence against Christians in Egypt.
Pope Tawadros II told local TV that "sinful acts will not undermine the unity and coherence of the Egyptian people in the face of terrorism".
In the UK, the General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church, Bishop Angaelos, condemned the "senseless and heartless brutality" of the attacks.
Violence against the religious minority has risen in recent years, especially since 2013, when the military overthrew the elected president and launched a crackdown against Islamists.
Some supporters of ousted President Mohammed Morsi, who hailed from the Muslim Brotherhood, blamed Christians for supporting the overthrow.
In February, IS warned of more attacks against Copts, who make up about 10% of Egypt's population.

Source: BBC