25 Die In Cairo Cathedral Bombing

Going by Egyptian state television, a bomb attack at a Coptic Catholic Cathedral in Cairo has left 25 people dead, with an additional 30 people severely injured, in what is only the second most fatal attack in the space of two consecutive days. This attack, judging by its perceptions, mode of operation and general knowledge, has been perceived to be orchestrated and executed by Islamist militants in a move many believe to be a direct opposition of the moves of President Abdel Fattah Sisi. According to multiple reports, the attack, along with Friday’s shooting which left six policemen dead, is a statement of dissent from the country’s general Islamist terrorist community to President Sisi, who while serving as defense minister back in 2013 was at the forefront of the ousting of Mohammed Morsi, the elected President who hails from the notorious sect known as the Brotherhood. As a direct retaliation, Islamist terror groups launched a barrage of assaults on Christians and security agencies; an action which began a series of back and forth attacks in what was almost a full blown Civil War.

The St.Mark’s Cathedral, the seat of the orthodox Church in the whole of Egypt and office of Pope Tawadros the Second, was the latest location in the never ending war as on Sunday, December 11th, 2016, an explosion at a hall near the Cathedral devastated the Church, killing 25 people, leaving over 30 others severely injured and damaging property worth millions of Egyptian Dollars. The attack has officially been recorded as the largest on a Church ground ever since 2011, when a suicide bombing operation killed over 20 people at a Church ground in the seaside city of Alexandria.

The Church attack is just the second in an onslaught by the terrorist community. The preceding Friday, an explosion occurred at a checkpoint on the road leading to the famous pyramids of Giza, killing six officers. Subsequently, the military Islamic group known as Hasm has stood up to take full responsibility of the checkpoint bombing.

These attacks are just a few of the many problems faced by the Egyptian government; the country currently faces an increasing state of alarm due to the activity of Islamic extremists, a major economic meltdown caused by the consistent reduction of the Egyptian Dollar and declining level of tourism and a catastrophic breakdown of security and safety concerns all over the country. These attacks are also seen as a direst way of further deteriorating the already paltry level of tourism and foreign direct investment revenue recorded and received by the country.

The injury toll for the Cathedral bombing currently stands at 35 and climbing. According to Egypt News, the attack was strategically planned, occurring at around mid-day when the Cathedral was packed full of people. Majority of the victims are believed to be women and children.

Security agencies stated that a device containing over 20kg of TNT had detonated on the women’s side of the Church.

Condolences and support messages have been coming from all over the world, as countries and notable figures in the world have been calling in to offer support and pledge solidarity with the state of Egypt. In a statement to the Foreign Minister, the United States’ Secretary of State, John Kerry, said “We would like to express our profound condolences to victims and people who lost loved ones. We would also like to express our best wishes to those who now have to recover from their injuries”. The Cairo International Airport, following the attack, has immediately declared a state of emergency, grounding all flight coming in and going out of the Egyptian capital till further notice. Egyptian President Fattah Abdel Sisi has declared a three day mourning period all over the country for the innocent people who lost their lives in the attack. He also set out to assure people of their safety, vowing that this wave of attacks will come to an end shortly and promising the general public that those responsible for the disruption of peaceful living in the country will soon be apprehended and dealt with accordingly.

The attack has drawn heavy criticism from political and religious leaders all over the world as well as the general public in Egypt, who have had enough of the unrest in the land and their lives being threatened