Blast at Coptic church in Alexandria, Egypt, kills 11

Egypt’s Health Ministry says an explosion at a church in the coastal city of Alexandria has killed 11 people and wounded at least 35 others.

It appeared to be the second attack targeting Egypt’s Coptic Christians, after a bomb in a church in the Nile Delta town of Tanta killed 26 people and wounded more than 70.

Church bombing north of Egypt’s capital kills at least 26 »

The ministry said the explosion went off at Saint Mark’s Church in Alexandria, where Pope Tawadros II had earlier celebrated Palm Sunday.

Egypt’s Interior Ministry says the blast was caused by a suicide bomber who tried to storm the entrance before being stopped by police.

The ministry said three policemen were among those killed in Sunday’s attack, without providing an overall toll.

The Islamic State group has claimed the bombing, as well as one in Tanta that occurred earlier Sunday. The bombings killed at least 37 people and wounded around 100.

The claim was published by the militant group’s Aamaq news agency. It provided no further details.

The extremists have claimed previous attacks against Egypt’s Coptic minority, and had recently vowed to step up attacks against Christians, whom they view as an ally of the West in a war against Islam.

An Islamic State affiliate based in the Sinai Peninsula claimed an attack on a Cairo church in December that killed around 30 people, and vowed more attacks on Christians.

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UPDATES:

6:30 a.m.: This article was updated with details about the cause of the blast.

6:10 a.m.: This article was updated with the Islamic State’s claim of the attack.

This article was originally published at 5:20 a.m.