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ROP delivers New Years Greetings to Copts in Egypt, 21 dead
At least 21 people were killed and 79 wounded when a bomb exploded outside a Coptic Christian church in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria in the deadliest terrorist attack in Egypt since at least 2006.The blast occurred after midnight as worshipers were leaving a New Years service, damaging the church, a nearby mosque and cars on the street, the Interior Ministry said in a statement on its website. Foreign elements appear to have been responsible for the blast, the ministry said, adding that it has increased security around churches nationwide in light of the escalating threats from al-Qaeda to many countries. It has been confirmed that the epicenter of the blast wasnt in one of the cars or the road, which makes it likely that the device was carried by a suicide man who was killed with the rest, the ministry said. President Hosni Mubarak, in a televised speech today, vowed to find those responsible for the attack. We will cut off the hand of terrorism, he said. You are making a grave mistake if you think that you will be spared the punishment of Egyptians, Mubarak said, addressing the perpetrators. The blast badly damaged other cars on the street, television footage showed. Scores of Copts, encircled by security forces, gathered before the church to protest the attack. Posted by: tu3031 2011-01-01 |
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