In a message to Bishop Angaelos, General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in the UK, Neville Kyrke-Smith, National Director of Aid to the Church in Need (UK), who has travelled to Egypt in times of crisis, said: “My dear Bishop Angaelos – you and your dear people have been and are in our prayers”.

While extending condolences on behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Liberia, and in her own name, to the Government and people of the Arab Republic of Egypt, especially the bereaved families, President Sirleaf extended heartfelt condolences for the irreparable loss sustained.

In the Cairo district of Shubra, where many Christians live, worshippers filled a service at St Mark’s church, some following proceedings by scrolling the order of service across the screens of their smart phones. The incidents have aroused anger and instilled fear within the country’s Christian population and have even led to the deployment of security forces.

He used to work for a petroleum company and was linked to a cell that carried out the attack on a Cairo church last December, in which 25 people were killed, it added.

A Muslim police officer who died in the line of duty during a terrorist attack on Coptic Christians in Egypt is being hailed as a hero.

Following Sunday’s attacks, mourners criticized security measures at churches, asking how could a bomb have been allowed to enter and pass through metal detectors at the gates, especially as IS has threatened their community.

Though the US President has expressed confidence in Sisi’s ability to handle the security situation, it may not be enough for investors to continue pouring money into a nation where security concerns continue to arise. “I found people torn up… some people, only half of their bodies remained”, Nabil Nader, who lives in front of the Tanta church, said. The targets of the attack were St. George’s church in Tanta and St. Mark’s Cathedral in Alexandria. There were 17 deaths and 48 injuries reported. However, he survived without injuries.

“These acts will not harm the unity and cohesion of the people”, he was later quoted as saying by state media.

Meanwhile, officials have named two of the suicide bombers who they say had links to militant cells.

“Crusaders and their apostate allies should know the bill between us and them is very big and they will pay it with rivers of blood from their children, god willing”.

Outside of St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Cairo’s central downtown area, a military tank is stationed with five soldiers on top – one of the more overt manifestations of President Abdel Fattah El-Sissi’s declaration of a three-month state of emergency. The singing can be heard turning into screams of panic and pain.

“Radical Islamists kill Christians because they are Christians; Yezidis because they are Yezidis; and different Muslim sects because they believe in a different brand of Islam than them”.

The opinions expressed in this article are exclusively those of the author and are not necessarily those of World Religion News.

Read more at Egypt declares state of emergency after deadly church attacks.