At least 29 people have been killed in an explosion inside a church in the Egyptian Nile Delta city of Tanta, local media reported, as state television said another blast killed 17 in front of a church in Alexandria.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) armed group on Sunday claimed responsibility for both attacks, in a statement via its Amaq website.
Following the blasts, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi ordered troops be deployed across the country to help secure “vital facilities”, according to a statement by his office.
The first attack occurred in the Coptic church of Mar Girgis, also known as St George, which was packed with worshippers marking Palm Sunday, a Christian feast commemorating the entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem.
Egypt’s state television reported that at least 71 people were wounded in the attack.
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