A bombing near the Coptic cathedral in the Egyptian capital Cairo has killed at least 25 people, officials say.
Dozens of others were injured in the blast at St Peter’s church during a Sunday church service.
The church is adjacent to St Mark’s cathedral, within the same complex. Photos and video footage showed damage to the church, with shattered windows and broken roofing.
Three days of national mourning have been declared.
The explosion happened at 10:00 (08:00 GMT). Video footage carried by regional media showed the interior of the church littered with broken and scattered furniture, along with blood and clothing on the floor.
“I saw a headless woman being carried away,” one eyewitness told the Associated Press news agency. “Everyone was in a state of shock.”
“There were children. What have they done to deserve this? I wish I had died with them instead of seeing these scenes,” she said.
President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has declared a three-day period of national mourning.
He condemned the attack, calling for the perpetrators to be punished, local television reported.
“Vicious terrorism is being waged against the country’s Copts and Muslims. Egypt will emerge stronger and more united from this situation,” he was quoted as saying.
The Church separated from other Christian denominations at the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD) in a dispute over the human and divine nature of Jesus Christ.
The early Church suffered persecution under the Roman Empire, and there were intermittent persecutions after Egypt became a Muslim country. Many believe that continues to this day.
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