The Express reported on February 21 that “Islamic State militants in Egypt have threatened to increase attacks against Christians in the country, vowing to ‘liberate’ Cairo, in a chilling new video. In the 20-minute clip, the group singles out prominent Christian Egyptians, identifying the Coptic Pope and a number of wealthy businessmen as the group’s ‘favourite prey.’”
“ISIS claims responsibility for 2 church bombings in Egypt that killed dozens,” by Michael Edison Hayden, ABC News, April 9, 2017:
ISIS has claimed responsibility for two attacks on churches in Egypt that were packed for Palm Sunday services, according to its news agency.
The attacks follow warnings by the terrorist group that it would escalate attacks on Egypt’s Christians, which according to an estimate by the CIA make up roughly 10 percent of the country’s population.
Two bombs killed at least 37 people and injured around 100 others on Palm Sunday. The first exploded in a Coptic Christian church in the Nile Delta town of Tanta, and the second several hours later at Saint Mark’s Cathedral in the coastal city of Alexandria, the historic seat of Christendom in Egypt.
Graphic images shared on social media by the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt, and taken by wire services, show the horrific aftermath of the twin blasts: Pews are shattered across large swaths of the Mar Girgis Coptic Church in Tanta, where at least 26 people were killed and more than 70 others were wounded — blood and shredded prayer books are streaked across the floors.
In Alexandria, where at least 11 people were killed and 35 others were wounded, rescue workers at the chaotic scene used blankets to carry the victims through the debris and crowds of people to waiting orange emergency vehicles.
The blast at Saint Mark’s Cathedral occurred just after the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, Pope Tawadros II, finished services, The Associated Press reported. His aides later told local media that he had escaped unharmed….